The Pipes are Calling
by Today4YouTomorow4Me
Summary: In the final mission of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore and Severus Snape send Ginny back to where it all began. When she arrives Ginny finds that she may be able to save more than just the Boy Who Lived.
1. Chapter 1

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, searching for the battle that raged just outside of the room of requirements. The castle was nothing like that one that I'd spent nearly 6 years in. The paintings that usually adorned the walls with witches and wizards alike hung empty if they were still hanging at all. Small fires had sprung up in the halls where spells had missed their intended targets and on the floor laid the bodies of those who were unlucky enough to be hit. No one I'd seen yet was conscious.

 _Constant vigilance._ I thought to myself, almost laughing at the advice a Death Eater in disguise once imparted upon an impressionable third year me. That advise soon came in handy as I rounded the corner that would lead to the Headmaster's Office. There stood Snape, the slimy old murderous git, looking around desperately. I took advantage of his distraction.

"Reducto!" I shouted thinking it would hit him squarely in the chest, I was not prepared for the lightning fast shield charm he threw up. My spell bounced off of the shield easily and boomeranged back toward me. I jumped out of the way just in time, but not quick enough to escape the falling rocks that fell from the ceiling. They hit me hard and knocked me to the ground. I spat out the blood in my mouth and felt a warm stream of blood dripping from a fresh wound on my head.

"Ginny, you stupid girl," Snape said as he ran over toward me. He reached over to grab my hand.

"Get away from me." My wand was nearly a foot away, and my head was fuzzy, but growing up sixteen years in a house full of brothers taught me one thing, and that was how to throw a punch.

"Shit," I heard Snape say as my fist made a connection with his jaw. "Hold still," I lashed out again, this time hitting him square in the nose, but I felt a bone in my hand pop. The sharp pain that followed proved that I was sporting a fresh break. "ENOUGH! Petrificus Totalus." and my body was bound.

"Severus?" A voice down the hall called.

"What do you want Lestrange?" As he stood to turn around I felt a chill come over me and I quickly realized that I had been disillusioned. _What the fuck is going on?_

"Thought I heard people down here?" Rodolphus Lestrange spoke again, his voice sent shivers down my spine. I remembered him from the Department of Mysteries. The things he did would give Severus Snape himself nightmares.

"It wouldn't be the first time you've heard things now would it?"

"I could have sworn-" Just then a crashing came from below us, I felt the floor tremble and a scream cry out.

"That'll be your cue, Lestrange. On your way." Snape said almost smoothly, but in the back of his voice, there was something there. _Could it be fear? No, Snape would never fear._

"I think I'll wait here. See what you're up to."

"If the Dark Lord had not ordered me here do you think I would not be down there fighting alongside you. I do not need supervision, Lestrange. I have proved my loyalty." Snape snapped at the sadistic man down the hall. Another burst of shouting was heard from below.

"The Dark Lord puts his trust in the wrong person." There was a rustling as Lestrange came close. I could feel his boots standing on my hair, but I dare not make a sound. Snape was one thing, but Rodolphus Lestrange was a beast I dare not attempt to battle.

"You dare question the Dark Lord Lestrange?"

"I-"

"Get the hell out of here. Prove your loyalty to him, not to me you coward." I heard a small scuffle as one of the men stormed away and then another chill came over me. "Smart girl, staying quiet."

I looked up at my former professor, still unable to move, and gave him a withering glare that served to say _Go fuck yourself._

"We haven't much time," Snape said, more to himself than to me. I heard him pick up my wand, i cursed myself for ever letting go of it, and he levitated me behind him. "Albus," the gargoyle lept to the side and a spiraling staircase appeared which Snape climbed. When we reached the top Snape laid me on a couch near the fireplace. Still unable to move my head I used my peripheral vision to look around me, the office looked the same as it had when I snuck in earlier this year. Only this time, Snape was standing by Dumbledore's portrait speaking in hushed whispers. "It is time sir, he is fearing for the snake's life, just as you said. We have to do it now, if we don't it will all be for nothing."

"If you wish for her to cooperate, maybe you remove the spell, Severus. I find women are much more agreeable when not being held captive." The portrait responded I could hear laughter in his voice.

"Sir, there is no time for a fight. She must go soon."

"She will not fight you. Am I right Miss. Weasley?" The portrait addressed me directly.

Still bound I managed a "Humph."

"That is sufficient enough, go ahead Severus." After a moment I felt the feeling return back to my fingers, I wiggled them, then slowly the rest of my body followed suit. I started to jump up, but then I felt an unseen force preventing me from doing so.

"Remove the spell, Snape." I fought against it, to no avail, and likely looked a right git as I did so.

"Miss. Weasley, please relax. We're all old friends here." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"I will not relax in the presence of a murderer!" I fought harder this time and managed to almost stand.

"MISS WEASLEY YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!" The booming voice of the late Albus Dumbledore sounded over me as I fell back onto the couch.

"Fine." I said, "But only because I have no wand."

"You are just as I remember, Ginevra." His eyes twinkled again. "I have a mission for you, what I intend to be the last mission the Order of the Phoenix will ever undertake. I'm afraid you must accept before I tell you the details."

My heart swelled at the idea of helping the Order I'd been forbidden to be a part of since my fourth year. Finally, I would be useful to Harry and my family. "I accept"

"Severus," Dumbledore said.

"Do you know what Potter is hunting?" Snape said.

"And so what if I do?" I spat at him.

"We haven't the time, Ginny, please," Snape spoke as if he knew me as if there was a camaraderie between us which there wasn't. "He's hunting Horcruxes." my face flushed with confusion, "When he rose to power, the Dark Lord split his soul into many pieces and hid them in mundane objects. It makes him difficult to kill."

My face flushed with confusion, why would Snape want to kill Voldemort? Hadn't he murdered one of the most powerful wizards of our age in the Dark Lord's name less than a year ago? What game was this? "I don't believe you," I replied.

"He put them into an old family ring, the diadem of Ravenclaw, an old diary." Snape began.

"A diary?" I asked. My mind was reeling, "Like the one from-"

"The very same," Snape responded. He moved toward me quickly and I almost jumped away but he held out a letter. "Open it."

I turned the envelope over in my hands. It bore the telltale signs of age. The edges were frayed, corners rumpled, and it was stained. On it was my name _Ginevra Weasley_ the handwriting was my own. _How is this possible?_ I thought to myself. I didn't move to open it.

"Ginny please, there is no time." There it was again, my enemy speaking as if he was my friend.

"Why do you call me that? You don't know me." I asked. Below us, a thundering crash was heard and everyone in the room, even those on the wall, jumped.

"I did," Snape replied.

"How?" Snape stared down at the letter in my hands. Finally, my curiosity won and I opened it.

 _Ginny,_

 _There is so much I wish to say, so much I wish to tell you, but there isn't the time. Trust Severus, he would never let anyone harm you. Do not let your fear of the future affect your present. Let yourself be happy, it will happen. Change what you must, but remember the consequences of your choices._

 _Good luck, it will all turn out fine in the end._

 _Ginny_

 _October 11, 1981_

"How is this possible?" I asked, gaping at the letter in my hand.

"You were there Ginny, my seventh year. You were my friend, and their's." Snape's eyes flashed with darkness for only a second. "Take this." He handed me a small drawstring bag, black. "It will keep you comfortable."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"There is a book that resides somewhere in Hogwarts, with a leather binding that whispers with dark magic." Dumbledore began, "A young woman by the name of Ginevra Cole fell into my office in the afternoon of September 15, 1977, covered in blood and soot. She told me that the book held the secret to defeating the Dark Lord."

"That was me?"

"Yes." Dumbledore smiled.

"Time travel?"

"How else?" Snape snapped.

"So all you want me to do is tell you about a book?" I was baffled, committing an extreme amount of time travel all for one small conversation seemed silly, stupid even.

"You'll find that there is much to do, many choices to make." Dumbledore smiled, "And it will not be easy to find this book. It will take time, you cannot let me forget Ginny. The book has a way of evading capture from those who wish to destroy it. You must ensure that I find it."

"Won't I forget about it then?" I asked, immediately finding the hole in the story.

"It seems that you will not. Now you must go, there isn't any time." Dumbledore said.

"You'll take this," Snape hurriedly handed me the bag, my wand, and a roll of parchment. "Give the note to Albus when you arrive. Tell him everything."

"Okay." I still couldn't wrap my head around it at all.

"The quill on my desk will leave in one minutes time. Touch it, and do not let go for dear life. The spell is called tempus itinerantur, do not forget that Ginny. Are you listening?"

"Tempus Itinerantur, I got it." I jerked my hands away from his quickly, the letter may have said to trust him, but it never said to touch him.

"Find me there Ginny. Save me from him. I fear without you I would have been-" He doubled over in extreme pain clutching his forearm. "Please, Ginny. Don't forget."

"I won't." I looked at the man who had turned my favorite place in the world into a living hell and did not see him standing before me. I only saw a boy crippled by pain and fear. He walked forward and clutched me tightly against his chest.

"Do not leave me to him, Ginny, I beg you." He whispered quietly. He pressed a kiss to my head and stepped away quickly. He chest covered in my blood, it was smeared on his face. "The Dark Lord Calls." He turned to apparate away and stopped quickly, "I will never say it again for I was a foolish boy. But thank you." With a pop, he was gone.

"What the fuck?"

"Miss. Weasley!" Dumbledore shouted just as the quill on Snape's desk started to glow. "Do not forget."

"Goodbye sir," I grabbed the quill. The room began to spin and I felt as if my insides might burst. I clutched everything Snape had given me tightly afraid that it would slip away. My head began to pound, and I felt my lungs constrict. The pounding in my head made my wound pump more blood, and for a second I felt as if I would fall unconscious. I wouldn't let that happen. I fought to keep my eyes open, forced myself to breathe the tiniest breaths, and just when I felt that I would give in to the darkness everything stopped and I fell hard onto the stone floor of the headmaster's office.

"Oh good heavens," I heard a familiar voice say.

With the only strength I had in me, I pulled my head up from the floor to see a pair of twinkling blue eyes that offered me the greatest comfort during the darkest times in my life. "You're alive," I managed to whisper before the world went very dark.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up on a bed, much softer than the one I'd been sleeping on at Aunt Muriel's since Easter. _Aunt Muriel,_ I shot up out of bed and instantly regretted my choices. My head pounded and my stomach turned. I looked around quickly and found a bedpan in the chair next to me. I instantly vomited bile.

 _How long have I been out?_ I was in a hospital bed, with curtains drawn. The linens were soft and the smell of antiseptic. There were no lights, and upon inspection of the area, it looked like the sun was just about to break on the horizon. I laid back slowly, assessing the damage. My head was pounding, probably from the multiple rocks that had fallen on me during the battle.

 _The battle, Harry!_ I shot up again and felt the consequences come back up. I retched into the bedpan once more.

"Alright there?" A voice called from a short distance away. It was oddly familiar.

"Think so," I responded, spitting a bit as I did.

"Want some water?" It called again.

"That'd be great," I didn't dare move again as I knew it would only yield the same results.

"Hold on," I heard the rustling of the boy getting out of his bed and walking over to mine. He shuffled slowly, clearly, he was injured too.

 _Ginny you selfish cow, of course, he's injured too._ Just as I started to ask him to stop, the curtains around my bed were moved to the side and the chair next to the bed was occupied by a boy about my age. He was tall, much taller than me, with sandy blonde hair, grey eyes, and a face that looked almost familiar enough to place. He was skinny, his complexion almost grey, and he bore scars over his face.

"Here you are, ma'am," He smiled and handed me a large glass of water. His scars almost disappeared when he smiled. He looked quite handsome this way.

"Thank you," I replied, gratefully accepting the drink and bringing it to my lips. As I drank I felt him study me, I must look a sight. I'd been out for god knows how long, and before that, I'd been injured by rubble and thrown back twenty years in time. "Not to be rude, but I must speak to Albus Dumbledore. It's urgent."

"I 'spose he'll be around in a bit. He's come in every morning to see if you're awake."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I've been here since Tuesday, a bit of a rough-" he paused "Er, week. You came in shortly after. It's Friday now."

"Friday? I've been out for three days?" I jerked my head to him too quickly and instantly regretted it. All the liquid I'd just consumed came right back up.

"Take it easy there," The boy patted my back as a means of comfort. I flinched in response, clearly, it had been a rough landing. "Sorry-"

"Don't worry about it," I winced "Been a rough week for me too."

"What happened?" He asked.

"Long story." I paused to study the boy before me, how did I know him? "I'm Ginny by the way."

"Remus, Remus Lupin," He replied giving me a kind smile. I was in awe of the boy before me who would grow to become one of my most beloved professors and an asset to the Order. This boy before me was nothing like the man I would know. Here he seemed carefree and happy, whereas as an adult he always seemed to be glancing over his shoulder. He was still kind, I was happy to see that nothing would change that. "What house are you in? I don't think I've seen you before."

I paused, thinking up a story on the spot, "I'm not," I started, hoping he wouldn't smell a lie. He'd always known when I was lying as a student, maybe he wouldn't know now. "It's kind of a long story, things have changed for me recently. Suddenly. So now I am coming here."

"Changed?" The boy Remus, asked.

"He-" I started but suddenly couldn't finish as another wave of nausea came over me.

"Ginny? I'll get Madam Pomfrey." Remus stood slowly, how could I have forgotten that he was injured too? He hobbled away and walked toward a wooden door where the matron stayed. "Madam Pomfrey, she's awake! She needs help!"

"I'm fine," I called after I'd regained control of my stomach, "let her sleep."

"She'll want to know you're awake. I should've gotten her when I first heard you." He continued knocking on her door.

"Remus Lupin you get your arse into bed," a young Madam Pomfrey emerged from her quarters looking much prettier and younger than I'd ever seen her.

"She's awake, Madame Pomfrey," Remus pointed over to me where I must have looked like death.

"Oh goodness," The matron rushed over to me, pulling the curtains around my bed closed before pulling my hair away from my neck. "How are we feeling Miss?"

"Nauseous," I cracked.

"That'll be the concussion," She murmured, placing a cool cloth on my neck. It felt like heaven. "You had quite the nasty one. I did my best, but they do take some time to heal even with magic."

"Thank you," I whispered

"You also had four broken ribs, a cracked pelvis, a burst spleen, and a nasty cut on your head," She listed off and began to place a calming hand on my head. "I healed most of it, but you'll want to stay here at least until tomorrow. I haven't seen injuries like this since my training days at St Mungo's. May I ask what the hell happened?"

"I must speak to Albus Dumbledore," I quickly said.

"Should've guessed," She murmured. "On the bright side, your fever has broken. I'm Madame Pomfrey by the way, I run this place."

"I can tell," I smiled slowly and began to lean back on my pillows.

"Mr. Lupin do not make me ask you again." She quickly pulled the curtains back to reveal Remus huddling close by trying to listen.

"I just wanted to make sure Ginny was alright Madame Pomfrey, she is my newest friend after all." He smiled a slow and charming smile which wilted the woman before him.

"She'll survive, Mr. Lupin. Now, if you would get back to bed I might let you out of this place by dinner." She said with a wink.

"Anything for you, ma'am." Lupin limped over to his bed and crawled beneath the covers and flashed us a thousand watt grin.

"My model patient." Madam Pomfrey said with a roll of her eyes. "Ginny's your name?"

"Yes," I said. 'Ginevra We-" I paused, remembering everything Dumbledore said "Ginevra Cole, Ginny for short."

"Well welcome to Hogwarts. I'll tell Albus you're awake, I expect he'll be down in a few hours. You should get some rest."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," I said as she made a motion that seemed to say it was nothing. I closed my eyes slowly and was out before you could say Quidditch.

"Leave her alone, Padfoot." I heard muffled through the curtains.

"Oh come on, Prongs. Aren't you a little curious?" Another voice whispered from just a few feet away from my head.

"Yes, but Mooney said to leave her alone."

"And when have we ever listened to Moony?"

"Moony is right here and he says to leave her alone or Pomfrey will never let me hear the end of it," Remus whispered, though it wasn't quite as soft as the other voices.

"Well, I'm going to check her out."

"If you're going to check her out, could you at least bring her some water?" I said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Oh shit, sorry, we were just um-" the second voice started.

"So is that a no on the water?" I asked, my throat was so dry and cracked from all the vomiting I'd done early in the morning.

"Hold on," there was an amount of shuffling going on behind the curtain. It crossed my mind to move the fabric to the side but I didn't dare move quickly for fear of another wave of sickness. Instead, I tried to sit up very slowly. The curtain was pulled back quickly, and I winced as the sunshine shined on my face, "M'lady"

A very handsome boy about my age stood in front of me. I felt a wave a familiarity come over me as I studied his face. He was tanned like he played Quidditch and stood much taller than I would, had I been standing. His black curly hair was worn long, nearly at his shoulders, and it was obvious he took great pride in it. His Gryffindor tie hung loosely around his neck and he wore a look on his face that proved he knew just how handsome he was.

"Thank you," I smiled up at him, suddenly ashamed of how I must look. Three days of bed rest, a battle, and a hefty amount of time travel could not have been good for my hair and at that moment I wished for nothing more than a hairbrush and some sleek easy potion. I reached for the glass slowly, desperately praying that I wouldn't get sick.

"Here," He said. Clearly seeing me struggle, he transfigured a pin on my bedside table to a straw and placed it in the cup bringing it over to my lips. "Take it easy." I drank heartily and instantly regretted it.

"Bedpan," I managed to say as I held down what I could. The bedpan was quickly placed in front of my face, and the boys free hand pulled back my hair just in time for me to see the water come back up.

"Should I get Pomfrey, Ginny?" Remus asked I hadn't heard him come to sit in the chair next to my bed.

"I'm okay," I said, looking up at the boy holding my hair and nodding gratefully. "Should've listened to the advice. I'm Ginny, by the way."

"Sirius Black," He winked at me. I took in an audible breath. How could I not have seen it before? Of course, this was the man who I'd nearly lost my life attempting to save. Or well, thinking that we were attempting to save him. He looked almost unrecognizable. This was a happy Sirius not bogged down by the demons of Azkaban.

"I'm sorry they woke you, Ginny." Remus began, my mind was still reeling at the revelation before me. "I asked them not to bother you." I still hadn't torn my eyes away from Sirius.

"We kind of thought he was making things out to be more serious than they were." Another boy said, peeking around the curtain. Finally, I peeled my eyes away from Sirius to find the third boy before me. _Harry?_ "James Potter at your service ma'am." The boy before me took off an imaginary hat and bowed melodramatically. He looked identical to his son, except for the eyes. Harry had green eyes. But of course, this was not Harry. Harry never had this kind of carefree attitude. I'd never seen a version of Harry that joked like this with a stranger. My stomach lurched and again I found my face in the bedpan.

"Now that's a first, Prongs has never had a girl get sick at the sight of him," Sirius said after letting out a barking laugh.

"You alright there, Ginny?" Remus asked me when I finally pulled myself together.

"Yeah, sorry," I shook my head slowly feeling the pounding come on again, "Been a rough week."

"How rough?" Sirius asked, his eyes shone with something I'd never seen in the man before. Was it mischief?

"Leave her alone, Padfoot, she's still trying to heal," Remus warned the boy on my other side.

"Oh come on, Moony, we're just getting to know each other. Now Ginny, tell us what brings a beautiful stranger like yourself to Hogwarts this fine day."

"I think that will be enough visiting, for now, Mr. Black," The voice of Albus Dumbledore drawled behind them. I hadn't heard anyone enter the room, and there was no telling how long he'd been there. "Classes start in ten minutes Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black, I would hate for you to be late. Professor McGonagall is a stickler for punctuality."

"Yes, Professor," James murmured quietly. He gave Sirius a pointed look and both boys walked over to Remus's bed to pick up their bags.

"A pleasure, m'lady," James bowed and dramatically exited.

"Our wishes of health upon you," Sirius added, again bowing dramatically and following his friend outside.

"Mr. Lupin will you go to your bed now? I have things to discuss that I'm sure should be kept private." Dumbledore looked at the boy next to me. Remus nodded and walked away.

In the silence that followed Dumbledore closed the curtains around my bed. He waved his wand in an intricate pattern and turned to face me. "That should give us some privacy. Now, first things first, who are you?"

"Ginevra Cole, but please call me Ginny. Everyone does."

"And what brings you here?" He asked

"I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you,"

"Try me." This was the Dumbledore I knew.

"I'm from the year 1998. You sent me here, along with another man, on a mission that will change the course of the war."

Dumbledore spent a moment mulling over my words, his brow stitched together in deep concentration. "And how am I to know if this is true Miss Cole? If what you're saying is true and I sent you here myself, then I certainly must have sent you with proof."

"When I arrived-"

"Quite the theatrical entrance, if I do say so myself." Dumbledore smiled.

"I came with some things, one of them is for you. It should explain everything." I looked around, "Where-"

"I thought it best to leave your belongings in my keeping until we knew your intentions," This younger version of Albus Dumbledore was just as wise as he would be in twenty years. He pulled out the bag, the parchment, but not my wand.

"The note is for you," I said reaching for my bag as Dumbledore began to read the parchment before him. I studied him as his nose brushed the parchment. He was younger than the man I remembered, though young is not the word I would use to describe him. His beard seemed less grey than it usually was, his eyes seemed lighter, and his hand was clearly not decaying. He still smelled the same as he did my first year, like lemon drops and butterscotch candy. Suddenly he looked up from the parchment.

"Well, then Miss. Cole, welcome to Hogwarts."

"That's it?" I asked I had planned on explaining myself more.

"It says right here everything I need to know. I do trust myself quite fully, I've always had a good instinct. I will start on my mission straight away, and you must start to recover." Dumbledore patted my knee gently. "Poppy said you've had a rough morning. Though I cannot relate exactly, I can imagine the effects of travel over such a distance," His eyes twinkled at the joke.

"Sir, what will we do about me?" I asked before I'd left we had never discussed it.

"It's all here my dear," He picked up the parchment reading from it slowly "Ginny Cole arrived in my office via port key, she was injured extensively and required a short stay in the hospital wing. Upon release, Ginny was sent to Gryffindor house to continue her schooling. Though it doesn't say what year."

"Seventh," I said, though my sixth year had been a bit of a joke in terms of schooling, there was no way I'd repeat it no matter what decade I was in.

"The seventh year it is then," Dumbledore smiled.

"I think we should tell people that Voldemort killed my family," I said slowly, "It'll explain why I have no one here and the injuries."

"How clever," Dumbledore smiled, "And if it is alright with you, I will call you my goddaughter. A student having weekly meetings with the headmaster is suspicious, but a godfather asking for weekly tea with his goddaughter is not."

"Weekly tea?"

"If this letter speaks the truth, then I cannot allow myself to forget and neither can you. If this book contains what I say it does then there is nothing more important."

"Sir," I murmured after a brief pause, "In my time-"

"Miss Cole I ask that you tell me nothing of the future, there is no telling what the consequences may be. I already know that I am dead, do an old man a favor and let me discover the rest as I grow."

"Yes sir," I sighed, choosing my next words very carefully. "Things are very- different in my time. And with the- with everything that was happening, I was given very little notice about my mission. I didn't get to-" I breathed again searching for the right words, but failing. "I don't quite know when the hell I am."

Dumbledore smiled "It is 1977, my dear goddaughter," He smiled at his pet name, "Everyone is listening to Celinda and the Linda's these days, very popular amongst the students. I find myself quite fond of their first album, Full Moon Fever. The Chudley Cannons are dominating the English Quidditch league, the students have been bleeding black and orange this year."

"Sir, I meant-"

"I know what you meant dear," Dumbledore's eyes turned dark and his smile disappeared. He took a long pause before continuing. "He is quite powerful, unlike anything we've ever seen before. I remember the sense of fear when Gillert Grindlewald was gaining power, this is quite different. His following is growing by the day. My students are safe in this castle, but I cannot protect them or their families once they're outside these walls. They're trying to keep things quiet, the ministry is, they don't want to panic everyone. I fear that we are far past that point. Every day we hear the whisperings of more killings, torture, and worse. I cannot fathom where we go from here."

"Thank you, sir," my stomach was in knots. It wasn't nausea from before, but from the stories about the man who haunted my dreams.

"I can guess without being told that he affected your life too, though that will be many years from now." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with tears, a man grieving for a child he'd one day know.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you about it, uncle," I glanced up at him to see if the nickname would stick. The smile on his face told me that it would.

"You must rest now, Ginny, I fear that Poppy will have my head if I should keep you awake for any longer."

"Sir," I said quickly, almost moving, but catching myself. "Those boys who were here before, I-" I paused again choosing my words so as not to break the rules, "I know what will happen to them. How do I-" I trailed off not knowing how to finish my question.

"How do you make friends with the people whose fates you already know?" Dumbledore turned to me, "I suppose you would do it by starting with a smile. I suppose it might be easier to ignore those whose fates are not bright. However, often what is easy is not what is right. I trust you to make the right choice."

"What if I could save them?" I asked, getting excited at the thought.

"There is more than one side to a choice, let's say you choose to save me, as we both know I will die before the war's end. What are the consequences of your choice? Will the fact that I live cause another to die in my place? Or worse, if you choose to save me, will it give the Dark Lord more power in the end?" He paused for a long time while staring into my eyes as if he knew the answer, and I did too. "Just a thought," He smiled, breaking me out of my head and giving me a wink. "Now I do not fear anything as much as I fear Madam Pomfrey when someone is doing harm to a student. I will let you rest." He started to turn away but jumped and abruptly turned around, "I almost forgot." He pulled my wand out of his robe. "You'll be needing this. I'll be in to check on you this weekend. Now rest."

"Yes, sir," I smiled. He pulled my curtains back and moved to close them as he left, "Wait," I almost shouted, "I haven't seen a sunny day in ages, leave them open."

"Anything for you goddaughter," He said with a wink, and strolled out of the hospital wing humming to himself. I turned to see Remus Lupin secretly studying me behind a book, he looked baffled.

"May I help you?" I called out to the boy a few beds away.

"What? Oh just- umm," He stuttered, clearly shocked that he was caught.

"Good night, Remus" I yawned as he tried to pretend he hadn't been staring. I leaned back against my pillows, really feeling the effects of everything I'd been through in the past week. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in with a tray full of vials, just as my eyes were closing.

"Not so fast, Miss Cole." She set the tray on my bedside table, "You'll need to take these before you sleep again. If they do their job, I think we can try some lunch in a few hours."

"Yes, Ma'am," I smiled swallowing the potions dutifully as she handed them to me. As I was drinking she ran her wand over my body in a series of intricate patterns, muttering incantations under her breath as she went. I grimaced after swallowing a particularly nasty potion.

"That'll be the Skele-gro," she supplied. "Now, off to bed with you."

Her instructions weren't exactly needed as I slowly positioned myself back on the bed and was out before she'd even finished speaking.

I woke up to the sun shining on my face, it was a welcome warmth that I hadn't felt in ages. Before moving, I did a once-over of myself. The throbbing in my head was now a dull ache that seemed to be receding. My back still felt like it was littered with bruises, but nothing more than I could handle. It was easier to breathe than it had been this morning, which told me that my ribs were healed. I finally opened my eyes and started to attempt sitting up. Slowly, and methodically, I moved my head off the pillow and then my shoulders and so on. I stopped often to ensure that my stomach would not protest. Upon sitting up instead of the twist of sickness I felt it rumble with hunger. A good sign.

"Look who's awake," Remus called from his bed. He was reading a book on potions while lounging. He seemed to have more color in his cheeks now than he did early this morning. I wondered if I'd be alone after tonight.

"Morning," I croaked through a dry throat.

"It's nearly dinner, I'd say you missed the morning," Remus laughed.

"I've missed nearly a week, what's another morning?" I looked around me and found a glass of water on the bedside table. I took it slowly and sipped with care, not wanting a repeat of this morning. When I didn't feel the need to throw it up I decided I'd earned myself something to eat. "Any idea how a girl can get a meal around here?"

"Madam Pomfrey will be by in three minutes, she checks on you every hour and she's almost due."

"You're keeping track of me?" I asked.

"It's either that or charms homework, and I don't much feel like starting that until Sunday," Remus joked. "Mind if I join you for Supper?"

"I thought you'd be set free by dinner," I said, remembering the matron's words from this morning.

"You look like you could use some company," Remus smiled at me, "That is if you want it."

"I'd love it," I smiled back. "I promise to keep as much of it down as I can."

"I'll hold you to that." This was a Remus Lupin I had never known, yet he was the same. He was just as kind as the man I'd met as a professor. He seemed to genuinely want to keep me company and even be my friend. However, I'd never known a version of Remus Lupin that was so happy.

 _Maybe I could change that. Maybe I could keep him from becoming so sad._

"Happy to see you're back with us, Miss Cole," Madam Pomfrey said as she swept into the room.

"Me too," I replied. "I was wondering if I could get something to eat. I don't feel nauseous anymore."

"I think some soup and toast might do you good," She smiled, clearly pleased with her patient. "Now how's the head?"

"Almost bearable."

"It should be fine by morning, maybe we'll get you out of here sooner than I thought," She said. She began to wave her wand again in the same intricate pattern as before, muttering under her breath. "I'll get you some food."

She turned to walk over to Remus's bed to find him sitting up straight like a model patient. "And what may I do for you Mr. Lupin."

"I was hoping you would make good on a promise you made earlier," Remus smiled charmingly at the woman before him.

"No fidgeting," Madam Pomfrey instructed as she waved her wand over him a few times. She said four different incantations and when green mist flowed over Remus's head she nodded firmly. "Off you go Mr. Lupin, a pleasure doing business with you."

Remus stood quickly and pulled his bed curtains shut, clearly looking forward to trading his hospital pajamas for real clothes.

"I'll be right back with the soup," Madam Pomfrey left the room quickly.

I looked out the window that faced the black lake. It had been months since I'd been in Hogwarts, and how I'd missed it so. _You've never been to this Hogwarts Ginny!_ I thought to myself. Yet despite the fact that this was my school twenty years before I would ever know it, it still felt like home. The walls still hummed with magic, and the hospital wing still bore the scratchy too hard beds. I could see students heading outside to enjoy the last moments of fall before the cold rain and snow would turn the season to winter.

I hadn't been outside in months. After Ron had been spotted with Harry we'd been forced to go to Aunt Muriel's house in hiding for fear of what the Death Eaters might do to a family of blood traitors. Aunt Muriel's house was small, and the food was scarce. I could feel my ribs through the thin cotton pajama top I wore. My cheeks, once plump and pink, were now hallowed and thin. I hadn't seen a mirror in weeks because the last time I looked I hardly recognized myself. I'd been avoiding them since.

"How do I look?" Remus's voice broke me out of my thoughts as he pushed back his bed curtains to reveal him wearing his uniform. The shirt was wrinkled, and the pants needed repair, but he was starting to resemble my beloved professor more and more.

"Quite nice," I smiled over at him, though it was obvious my smile did nothing to disguise my thoughts because Remus suddenly walked over to my bed and sat down seriously.

"Is everything alright?" He asked softly.

"Fine," I sat up straight to pretend it was, hoping he'd take my answer for its face value.

"If you say so," He said quizzically. Just as he did the doors burst open to the hospital wing.

"Mooney, we've come to spring you!" James Potter shouted as he walked towards his friend.

"Spring me? I've been released on the count of good behavior," Remus drawled at his friend from the seat next to my bed.

"Then why aren't you rushing to the common room to bask in our friendship?" Sirius responded as he entered the room, they were followed by a third boy. He was short and overweight who followed Sirius and James like he worshiped the ground they walked on. This must have been Peter Pettigrew, I drew back from him in revulsion. It did not go unnoticed by Remus.

"You alright?" Remus asked me.

"Fine," I said coming up with an excuse, "Just a lot of noise."

"You heard the woman, James, quiet down," Sirius whispered as he pulled a chair over to my bedside and took a seat.

"Gosh, Prongs, I bet they could hear you from Diagon Alley talking that loudly," Pettigrew smirked at his friend. The dig was very half-hearted as if the boy feared to upset James.

 _How odd._

"I'm sorry, I never meant to do any harm," James whispered over to me, his face shining in mirth.

"I think I'll survive," I whispered back to him earning a loud laugh from all of the boys.

"Seems like you're feeling better," Sirius smirked at me.

"A bit," I said, _was he flirting with me?_ "Madam Pomfrey thinks I can eat." I was almost giddy at the thought of a meal from Hogwarts. If there was one thing that might not have changed over time I was hoping it would be the food.

"I like a woman who eats," Sirius winked at me. I rolled my eyes at him in response, he looked taken aback at the idea of a woman not falling to his charms.

"So are we going down to the great hall? I'm starved." Peter said while looking around at his friends to jump up and leave.

"Sorry, mate, I told Ginny I'd keep her company for supper," Remus smiled at the boy. "But go on without me, I'll catch up with you lot later."

"Well someone has to stay here and protect Mooney from the beautiful stranger," Sirius smirked at me again.

"I'll go with you Pete," James stood up from his chair and started to leave. He turned around suddenly saying, "But you two better tell me everything. Come on, Wormtail." The two boys left as I turned to gaze accusingly at Sirius and Remus.

"Tell you him everything?" I asked.

"Oh, we've been exceptionally curious about the stranger in bed three all week. You wouldn't believe how many times we tried to get Poppy to tell us who you were," Sirius leaned back in his chair and eyed me back.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Remus began, "Don't listen to him, I just wanted to offer the company. I had no ulterior motives."

"Boys," I said to myself and then started to laugh a little. "You lot sure are something." Just then Madam Pomfrey came bustling in with a large tray loaded with 2 large steaming bowls and a plate piled high with toast. There was a large glass of water on it. My stomach growled quite loudly at the smell.

"Well," She said, eyeing the boys sitting next to me, "I can't say that I'm surprised." She nestled the tray on top of me and began to tuck a napkin into the collar of my shirt and fuss over the pillows and blankets. By the time she pulled away my cheeks were tinged in peek in embarrassment although her fussing did give me a yearning for home. "You two have thirty minutes, and then you're gone, understood?"

"Yes, love," Sirius smirked up at her as she walked back into her office with a roll of her eyes.

I could barely wait to tuck in, but I kept reminding myself that I must start slow. There was no way I wouldn't get sick if I ate as fast as I could. I started with the first bowl which held nothing but a flavored broth. It was delicious, more flavor than I'd tasted in months. I had to stop myself from diving head first into the bowl, so after a few spoonfuls, I laid back to test the results of eating.

"How is it?" Remus asked with a smile on his face.

"Best I've had in ages," I smiled back at him. "But I don't want a repeat of this morning, so I'll take it slow."

"So where are you from Miss Ginny?" Sirius drawled from beside me.

"Near West Sussex," I replied. _Keep it casual Ginny._ "You?"

"London," Sirius replied. When my stomach didn't move to reject the food I continued to eat. "What brings you to Hogwarts?"

"Well I thought that was quite obvious, Mr. Black," I said cooly, "School."

"I think he means what brings you here now?" Remus countered. For someone with no ulterior motives, he seemed just as curious about me as Sirius. I put my spoon down slowly and eyed them both, formulating an answer.

"Things have," I started, going over it before it came out of my mouth, "Changed for me recently. My Uncle, Professor Dumbledore, thought it best that I come here to finish school."

"How have things changed?" Sirius tried again.

"My family's gone," I said to him softly, mulling the phrase over in my mouth. The consequences of accepting my mission fully hit me at that moment. Until then I hadn't thought about what coming to 1977 meant for me. I was living in a world where my mother did not know I existed. Where my brothers were infants, some of them not even born. It would be a very long time before a Molly Weasley dinner crossed my lips, and a very long time before I'd get to embrace my father again. It may never happen again. As I sat in the bed, a single tear streamed down my face. "Voldemort killed them."

I heard Remus gasp and felt Sirius drop his act in a second. Both boys watched me for my next move, neither knowing what to say. I couldn't think about it at that moment, as the boys watched me waiting for a reaction, so I did what any sane person would do: I kept eating.

"I haven't had a decent meal in months," I broke the silence. "I could get used to this."

"So you mean you saw him?" Sirius asked quietly, his voice had dropped to just above a whisper.

"Sirius-" Remus snapped at his friend.

"Yes," I answered, remembering my nights in the Chamber and the boy you haunted my life to this day.

"What's he like?" Sirius asked.

I took a long pause and chose my next words carefully. "Like all your nightmares rolled into one."

"I'm so sorry," Sirius murmured, he patted my hand that lay on the bed next to him. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," I cut him off. "Things are different out there."

"You should eat Ginny," Remus interrupted, clearly hoping to change the subject. I picked up my spoon and began sipping the broth again, though this time I couldn't really taste the flavor.

"So what's there to do for fun around here?" I asked, hoping that they would take the bait.

Sirius launched into an extensive explanation of all things Hogwarts. Remus would pitch in here and there, but mostly it was Sirius. His eyes were bright and he laughed with such lightheartedness that I had a hard time believing this was the man who I spent the summer before my fourth year staying with. This Sirius stood taller, his eyes shown with excitement, he was charming. This was not the man I remembered.

 _I crept downstairs and made my way into the kitchen, carefully navigating the creaky floorboards so as not to wake the painting in the hall. I lept nimbly over the creakeist portion of the floor and pushed open the door to the kitchen. Sleep had been evading me all night, maybe it was because of the intense sense of forboding in the house, or maybe it was the fact that I could hear George snoring from my bed three doors down. Either way, the only thing that could get me to sleep at this point was a cup of tea._

 _As I pushed open the doors I found Sirius Black sitting with his back to me. He was staring into a small fire that was burning in the fireplace. His shoulders were hunched like a man who bore the struggles of the entire world on his back. I instantly regretted walking in on him and tried to sneak out without being noticed until I accidentally landed on the squeakiest floorboard in human history._

" _Who's there?" Sirius turned around quickly and brandished his wand in my direction. In his other hand, he held a nearly empty bottle of fire whiskey._

" _Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," I said holding my hands up in surrender. "I'll just go back to bed."_

" _No stay," the man said, putting his wand away and hiding the bottle from my view. "Didn't mean to chase you away."_

" _No, really I can go-"_

" _Please stay," He whispered from across the room. The look on his face was strange, and his eyes flashed with a look I'd never seen before. "Sit, I'll make tea," He turned too quickly and stumbled a little, but caught himself on the counters edge before he could fall._

" _You sit," I rushed over to help steady him. As I grabbed his arm and guided him to a chair his breathing hitched. Before I could sit him down he turned to face me and placed his hand on my cheek. "Sirius?" I asked, very confused._

" _I'm so sorry," He whispered as he brushed his thumb over my lips. The gesture was far to intimate, and yet I made no move to stop it. We'd never been alone together. It seemed that any time the opportunity might arise Sirius would leave the room, or find any excuse to avoid it. What was going on? "I shouldn't have gone that night." The firewhiskey on his breath warmed my face. I didn't dare say anything. "None of this would have happened if I'd just listened to you. I'm so sorry." Tears suddenly began to stream down his face and his hand moved to my hair. "Don't let me go, Gin. Just make me stay, please don't let me go." He began to plead with me. He grabbed a fist full of my hair to hold me in front of him, it didn't hurt and I almost enjoyed the sensation, but I suddenly found the moment too intense. "Swear it, swear you'll make me stay. Do whatever you have to do, just make me stay. Swear it, Ginny."_

" _I swear," I said as I gently began to pull away from the man._

" _Thank you," He calmed, but kept his hold on my hair._

" _Sirius, how about some tea?"_

 _The man in front of me slowly brought his face closer to mine and I began to panic. There was no way he knew what he was talking about. Clearly, he assumed that I was someone else from his past, and in his drunken stupor thought that she was here. But he'd said my name, hadn't he? Maybe it was all a strange coincidence. Or maybe it wasn't. His lips were inches from mine and I realized that he was going to kiss me. My heart was racing, my lungs unable to take in oxygen, and yet I didn't try to move. A part of me wondered what it would be like to kiss Sirius Black. Just as our lips alost brushed he stopped. It seemed that he'd realized what was happening. He moved his face to the side and let his lips brush my forehead. It wasn't a fatherly gesture, or a friendly one, it was something else entirely. His lips stayed there for a second too long. He quickly pulled away, removed his hand from my hair, and sat in his chair. He took a long swig of the firewhiskey and went back to staring into the fire._

" _Sirius?" I asked again, baffled by our entire exchange._

" _Go to sleep, love," He muttered without looking at me. He waved his wand and the kettle filled with water and put itself on the stove. A carton of milk poured itself into my cup, and two sugars were placed alongside it._

 _How did he know how I liked my tea?_

 _Once the water was heated, and the tea poured, the cup floated over to me and landed in my hands._

" _Thanks," I said, my mind still reeling from everything that just happened. "Goodnight, I guess." I turned to go, but paused at the door when I heard Sirius' voice._

" _Don't forget, Ginny," He said, "You promised."_

" _I won't," and with that, I turned away and went to bed._


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"You're almost there, just a few more steps," Madam Pomfrey said from a few feet in front of me, her hands outstretched to catch me should I fall. But I wouldn't fall, she'd promised to release me if I could make it across the corridor without stopping or falling. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my head felt ready to explode, but there was no way I would spend another night in that hospital wing.

"Come on Ginny," I whispered to myself as I took the last two steps over the 'finish line'. I leaned against the wall and heaved a huge sigh as Madame Pomfrey smiled down at me.

"Well, that settles that, catch your breath and you can go," The matron smiled down at me. "You won't be training dragons tonight but if you take it easy over the weekend I don't see why you can't go to classes on Monday."

"Thank you," I smiled at her and slowly stood up. We made our way back to the hospital wing together.

"Albus should be down in a few minutes, he wanted to be here when you leave. Don't you leave without him."

"Yes, ma'am." It had been almost a week since I'd woken up. My symptoms had improved significantly but the effects of time travel were greater than we'd expected. I was extremely weak and had spent the better part of the week attempting to walk more than one hundred feet without dry heaving. Though Pomfrey was pleased with my accomplishments, I was disappointed. Ginny Weasley was not weak. Ginny Weasley was stronger than all of her brothers combined.

 _You're not Ginny Weasley._ The voice in my head chided _Ginny Cole._

No matter what my name was, I would never let myself be weak. I hadn't endured the past year by being weak. We entered the hospital wing to find Professor Dumbledore standing by my bed looking at me with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, someone looks better," He smiled. The last time he saw me was when I had nearly passed out from trying to make it from my bed to Madam Pomfrey's office. It was all of fifteen feet from my bed.

"Thank you, Uncle," I replied sarcastically to the old man. I knew that my face was red, my hair was a rats nest, and I was absolutely drenched in sweat. We'd been working for over an hour.

"She can go I think," Madame Pomfrey said to him, but then turned to me, " But you must promise me that you will take it easy."

"I promise not to try to fly cross country until at least tomorrow," I replied coolly. The matron fixed me with a glare that was interrupted by a laugh. We'd become friendly in the past few days, it kind of happens when you need help using the loo.

"Good thing that fall didn't knock the cheek out of you," She laughed and turned to go toward her office, but did not leave without saying "And I don't want to see you back here, understood?"

"Ay, ay cap'n" I saluted her, she rolled her eyes and left the room.

"Miss Cole, I was hoping you'd let me show you to Gryffindor tower," he asked.

"That would be great," I smiled at him. I collected my only belongings that littered my bedside table, my wand and the black bag Snape gave me. Inside of the bag was Snape's insurance policy, a guarantee that I would keep my promise. When I'd opened it last Friday I had seethed at the idea. Severus Snape was nothing if not a smart man. He'd planned this trip down to a tee. Inside the bag was a Weasley jumper, a family photo album, and the biggest insult of them all was his money. There were piles of it inside of the bag. It was obviously loaded with an extension charm. There was enough to feed a small village, more than I would ever want or need. And to top it all off he left a note.

 _Now we're even._

 _-S_

It was an insurance policy. He knew I would never be able to live my life in debt to someone like him, or anyone for that matter. I hadn't been sure that I would live up to my word before, but now I knew I would have to. _The git._

"Shall we?" Dumbledore extended his arm, and I accepted it gladly. We began the long walk from the hospital wing to Gryffindor tower. "I have enrolled you in the courses you requested, though Professor McGonagall was not thrilled with having you enter her N.E.W.T level class a month late."

"She won't regret it," I promised. Transfiguration, next to Defence Against the Dark Arts was my strongest subject. There was no way I would spend a year without it, even if that meant a mountain of catch up work. "How goes the search?"

"Hmm?" He asked as we rounded the corner and began to slowly climb the stairs.

"For the book. Have you been looking?"

"The book?"

"The book that I was sent here to help you find."

"The book," His eyes widened in realization.

"Yes, sir, that's what it does," I turned to him, "it evades you. You cannot let it slip your mind again."

"I won't, Ginny, don't worry."

"You can't, sir, it changes everything."

"If your being here says anything, then I do."

"You have to keep looking sir, I could help. I'm very good at-"

"Hush now, it is not your job to look. It is mine. You should live your life, be young, and happy."

I stopped on the stairs, both because of the need to catch my breath but also because I was shocked at the idea. "Sir, people have died, the students in this school will die. Some of them will suffer a fate far worse than death. You will die. How can I be young and happy when I know what Lord Voldemort will do to them when they leave? What he will do to me?" My face was red but it wasn't from the climb.

"We all will die one day my child, but if we live our lives so conscious of that fact how can that be considered living?" He looked at me from his spot on the stairs. The twinkle in his eye was sparked and he reached his hand out to mine. I took it. "I fear that I know all too well what the future holds for my students, there are whispers everywhere. I hope that you will share your fears with me, Ginny. I also hope that you will share some joy with me too. It is okay to be happy. Love and hope is the greatest weapon we have against darkness. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered, lowering my eyes in shame at having snapped at him.

"Now," He smiled, placing my hand back on his arm as he continued to walk toward the tower, "I was hoping you would tell me one thing about the future?"

"Sir, you made me promise-"

"Just one thing," He winked down at me, "Has Bertie Bott's ever brought back the liver flavored bean? I've been writing them for years begging that it be reinstated."

"You like the liver flavor?"

"No, no of course not, but it did look nearly identical to the strawberry, Professor Sprout's favorite, and it was so fun to sneak them onto her plate when she wasn't looking." I laughed out loud at the thought of Albus Dumbledore playing a prank on his staff. The image of him waiting at the table, watching Professor Sprout eat, with a twinkle in his eye made me smile.

"Some secrets of the future I just won't tell Professor." I giggled at the man and watched him frown, but he never lost that twinkle. We walked the rest of the way to Gryffindor tower, stopping often so I could catch my breath, with Dumbledore pointing out his favorite paintings to me and me pointing to mine. Before long we'd reached the portrait of the fat lady.

"And now I bid you farewell dear Goddaughter. I will see you for tea next Sunday at 3 if you're available."

"Sounds like a date," I smiled up at him.

"If you should need anything Professor McGonagall knows you're here and is more than willing to help. You could also contact me if you need anything."

"Will do."

He turned to the fat lady and said "Eye of Newt," the portrait swung open, "I'll see you in a little while at supper." He turned away and started down the stairs.

"Sir," I almost shouted before he got too far. "Thank you. For everything."

"See you Sunday, Ginny," He smiled. He turned away and walked down the stairs, leaving me to walk into the common room myself.

I stepped through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. It was different than before, or later, but the feeling was the same. The burgundy walls and plush sofas were a different shade than I remembered them, but they still instantly calmed and beckoned me inside. The fire still roared in its place and framed the room in a soft glow. The only thing missing was the students.

At 3:00 in the afternoon on a Thursday most everyone was in class and anyone who wasn't was clearly taking in the sunshine outside. I took a moment to rest by the fire. It was the first time I'd been truly alone in months. At Muriel's, it was crowded with people, and the hospital wing was always bustling with students coming and going. I hadn't had a moment to myself. To be honest I didn't really want it. The second it was quiet I was alone with my thoughts.

 _I miss my mum._

The thought had been burning in the back of my mind for a week now, but I hadn't let it slip through the cracks. The fact that I had been chosen for this mission, that I was playing an integral role in the defeat of Lord Voldemort made me jump for joy. However, my heart ached for the family that I had not been able to take with me. Were they okay? Had everyone made it out alive? Did Harry win?

 _Did my sacrifice even make a difference?_

The scariest thought I'd had yet made me shiver in fear. What if everything had been for naught? What if after going back in time to help Dumbledore find this book that he needs, Harry isn't able to win? What if he dies?

I hadn't thought much about accepting, I was desperate to help Harry. He was my first love. My only love. I would have walked through fire if it meant helping him in his mission. I would have taken any number of Cruciatus curses if it meant anything. Harry didn't want my help, he thought it was too dangerous, but Dumbledore knew that I was important. Dumbledore believed in me. I would not let either of them down. They both needed me. I would not fail.

I stood up slowly, wiping the tears that had fallen off of my cheeks and moved toward the staircase. At a different time, I would have climbed it with ease. I would've taken the steps three at a time, but not today. Today it looked like a mountain before me. I could hear my heart hammering in my ears as I started to climb it.

"Take it easy, Gin," I whispered to myself as I began to lose my breath on the first landing, "You can do this."

The stairs to the tower had been much easier to climb, probably because Dumbledore had been supporting me the whole way. Walking solo was not so easy. I paused on the second landing and attempted to catch my breath. The third and fourth-year dormitories were on my left and right. Two more landings to go. I let my heart calm itself and my breathing even and then continued.

On the third landing, I felt as if I could pass out, but I would not be defeated by a staircase. Not today.

"Are you alright?" I heard a voice behind me ask. The blood pounding in my ears had made it difficult to hear anyone approaching.

"Fine," I wheezed and turned my head to find a girl with long brown hair staring at me with concern. "Just trying to make it to my room."

"Are you the new girl?" She asked.

"Mhmm," I replied as I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath. "Ginny."

"Marlene. Can I help you?"

"That would be great," I replied. "I'm not usually this pathetic."

"I'm not usually this nice, but if you'll keep my secret I'll keep yours," She smirked at me as she approached.

"Deal," I laughed. She wrapped her arm around my waist and helped to hoist me up the remaining stairs. It wasn't nearly as hard with some help. She opened the door to the seventh year dormitories and helped me inside. "Thank you."

"No problem," She pointed to a bed that lay just to the right of the door, "That one's yours, showers through that door."

"Thank you," I said again if she hadn't come to help I don't know if I would have made it up the stairs.

"I'm going to go to dinner in about an hour, if you're hungry I could show you how to get there."

"I thought you weren't this nice?"

She laughed loudly, "I'm not. But I am very nosy, so I'll be back to take you to dinner around five. You can repay me by answering all my questions."

"Sounds great," I replied, she grabbed a book from her trunk and started to leave. She stopped at the door.

"Are you gonna be okay in there-"

"Its just the stairs," I cut her off, "I'll see you in an hour." She laughed at me and waved as she left.

I heaved a sigh of relief at having made it all the way up the stairs and allowed myself to lay back onto my bed. Funnily enough, it was in the same place my bed always was at school, the coincidence was oddly comforting.

Marlene seemed nice but I couldn't for the life of me place her name. There wasn't a Marlene in the Order of my time, at least not one that was at the meetings in Grimmauld Place. Which meant she was either dead or a death eater. I felt my stomach give a slight lurch at the idea.

 _She could have never joined the Order, Ginny._ The voice in my head chided.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. I may not know her fate, but she had helped me and anyone who helped me in my time of need was good in my book. As I laid sprawled over the comforter I felt the salt from sweat begin to dry on my face and remembered just how horribly I wanted to shower.

I sat up slowly and looked toward the trunk at the bottom of my bed. Dumbledore had been kind enough to let me make a list of items I'd need and order them all for me. At least Snape's bribe would be good for something. I'd never had new clothes in my life. I dug through my trunk to find bottles of Magic Mane shampoo and conditioner. I pulled out a fluffy blue robe that seemed to match my eyes almost perfectly and began to hobble over to the showers.

Thirty minutes later I was sufficiently scrubbed and felt like a new woman. There was nothing better than a hot shower. After a quick dig through my trunk, I found a pair of black jeans and a warm green sweater to put on. I'd given Dumbledore my old sizes, the sweater was big and the jeans hung loosely at my hips. Any womanly shape I might have gained during the sixth year of Hogwarts had been lost. The stress of everyone you know and love possibly dying, and your way of life being destroyed coupled with a lack of food really helped a girl lose a few pounds.

I sat on the bed and brushed my damp hair with more care than I ever did. It felt odd to be here. When I'd left there was a war waging around me. People had been fighting for their lives just feet away from me, and I would have joined them if it hadn't been for Snape. Here the battle was light years away. It was whispered. No death eaters walked the halls and threatened to whip me for vandalism. I wouldn't be asked to practice the Cruciatus curse on first years. I didn't have to wonder where my next meal would come from.

It felt so wrong to be here, but it was for my family. It was to save them. It was to save Harry. It was to kill Tom Riddle and make sure that he would never possess little girls again.

My thoughts were interrupted as Marlene walked in followed by another girl I didn't know.

"Ginny?" Marlene called as she entered.

"Over here," I waved.

"This is Dorcas Meadows, Dor this is Ginny." Marlene introduced me to a beautiful tall blonde girl with big blue eyes. She reminded me of Luna without the far away dreamy look.

 _Luna_ , my heart ached at the thought.

"Oh my god, we've been _dying_ to meet you," Dorcas ran over to me and shook my hand enthusiastically. "They brought in the sixth bed on Sunday, and we've been speculating left right and center about the new girl. You're not a snorer are you?"

"Not the last time I checked," I laughed at the carefree attitude of the girl before me.

"I win, now you have to let me borrow that skirt next Hogsmeade trip," Dorcas called over her shoulder to Marlene.

"But it's brand new," Marlene whined.

"A deal's a deal," Dorcas smirked over at her friend.

"Fine," Marlene said through gritted teeth, "bitch," she muttered just loud enough for us to hear.

"Don't worry about Marly, she's just a sore loser," Dorcas said to me with a laugh. Their friendship dynamic reminded me of my dynamic with Fred and George. "I bet you're hungry."

"You'd be right," I smiled up at her, "But I don't think I have any cute skirts for you to wear to Hogsmeade." Both Dorcas and Marlene laughed loudly at my joke. Clearly, we would get along. I smiled at the idea of finding friends whose fates I couldn't remember.

"We'll call it even since it's your first day," Dorcas smiled, "Now come on, I want cake."

"Cake sounds nice," I replied. Slowly I stood up, holding onto the bedpost for balance as I slipped on my brand new trainers. The room spun for just a moment as all the blood rushed to my head, a residual side effect of time travel that Dumbledore said would go away with time. When I was able to see straight again I saw that both Marlene and Dorcas were staring at me with concern.

"You alright?" Dorcas asked.

"Yes, had a bit of a rough time getting here. I'm still not good as new, but good enough," I laughed a little to get the girls to change the subject and started toward the door. "Well, are you coming?"

"Sure thing," Both girls rushed over to the door and Dorcas led the way to the Great Hall. Marlene and Dorcas were more than helpful in guiding me on my way. They pointed out various landmarks to help me find my way around and even caught me when I tripped a few times. By the time we'd reached the Great Hall Marlene was in the middle of telling a very embarrassing story about Dorcas and a boy named Harrison Dogely being caught in a broom cupboard by Professor Flitwick when someone shouted my name very loudly.

"GINEVRA COLE AS I LIVE AND BREATHE!" James Potter shouted across the great hall. I felt every head in the room turn to stare at me in that instant. My face felt hot. For a moment I thought about turning and booking it out of the room, but Marlene's arm tightened around mine and pulled me through the doorway and into the Great Hall.

"How do you know James Potter?" Marlene drawled, she was eyeing the boy like a piece of meat.

"We met in the hospital wing," I whispered, everyone was still watching us as we walked over to where he and Remus sat. I glared daggers at James as we walked over.

"You know Potter I always thought you had a thing for redheads," Marlene drawled as we sat down.

"Only one redhead for me," James winked at Marlene and then turned his head toward another redhead who sat on the opposite end of the table glaring daggers at me. She caught my gaze and abruptly turned away. I was stunned, I knew those eyes. _Harry's eyes._

"Ginny, when did you get out of the hospital wing?" Remus asked me from across the table.

"An hour ago?" I replied, my face was finally turning a normal color and everyone had obviously gone back to their meals.

"You were able to make it all the way to Gryffindor Tower on your own?" Remus asked he'd been popping in to visit me a few times this past week. He'd even been there yesterday when I attempted to make it down the corridor and failed quite miserably.

"I had some help," I conceded glancing over to the Teachers table where Dumbledore smiled at me with a twinkle in his eyes. I turned back to Remus, "Speaking of help, would you mind whacking your friend there. I promised Madam Pomfrey that I wouldn't strain myself" I glared at James who sat directly across from me.

"Ginny, please, you don't have to do this," The boy raised his hands in surrender, "I just got excited." Just then Sirius Black plopped down in between Dorcas and me.

"What'd James get excited about then?" He asked, reaching for a bowl shepherds pie and piling it onto his plate.

"I was just excited to see my newest friend-" James began.

"So you decided to embarrass me in front of the entire great hall." I finished for him. Sirius then began to spoon a mountain of food onto my empty plate.

"James is a git," Sirius said. He placed the bowl back in the center of the table and then stood up and hit James over the head. "Got him for you, love," Sirius smirked over at me as he took a bite of his food. "Tuck in." He winked.

I felt Marlene kick me under the table, I turned to her abruptly and her face was burning with a million questions. _Later_ I mouthed. I picked up my fork and started to slowly tackle the mountain of food Sirius had put in front of me.

"So boys, when will we see the first prank of the year?" Dorcas smiled at Sirius and James.

"When I've recovered from this heartbreaking injury," James muttered as he rubbed his head.

"Not to undermine your pain James, but don't you think you should be a little more sensitive with Ginny right here. I mean her head almost exploded," Remus joked with his friend. Marlene and Dorcas gasped

"It didn't almost explode!" I shot Remus an exasperated look, "It just took a pretty hard hit is all."

"It took Madam Pomfrey a whole week to heal it, it might as well have exploded." Sirius let out a barking laugh.

"They're making it sound worse than it is," I said to Dorcas and Marlene as the boys shoveled food into their mouths. "I'm fine. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have let me leave if I wasn't. And I am quite capable of serving myself, Sirius." I snapped at the boy next to me as he started to shovel potatoes onto my plate.

"I like my women with some meat on them, love." Sirius winked. I felt my pinks twinge in pink, but it was no blush. Sirius had visited me in the hospital wing on Monday with Remus and they'd both overheard Pomfrey telling me that I was severely underweight. Captivity can do that to people, I'd said to her. Both boys overheard, and luckily neither had questioned it, but I saw them watch me eat very closely that night and tonight was no different.

"So do you know what classes you'll be taking?" Remus interjected quickly, diverting my attention away from Sirius just as the boy landed a massive pile of potatoes onto my plate.

"Yes," I said with gritted teeth. "Potions, Transfiguration, Defense, Charms, and Astronomy."

"So just the easy classes then?" Marlene joked, she relished in the fact that all of the boys laughed at her. She reminded me of myself once upon a time. Long before battles at the ministry, and stealing from the headmasters' office I'd been able to hold everyone's attention like this. I decided that I liked Marlene. She reminded me of a different version of myself.

The rest of dinner continued in carefree banter. I managed to stay out of it mostly, piping up when the right quip came to mind. Mostly, I just watched and ate. The mountain of food turned into a small hill but there was no way I could have finished it. Remus and Sirius both eyed me suspiciously but didn't say anything.

Remus had been visiting me regularly in the hospital wing. He'd become a good companion. He was kind, funny, and didn't push me to answer questions. I trusted him. I saw in him the man he would become. Before me was the boy who would lay his life on the line time and time again for his friends. I saw in him the professor who would help a scared little girl move on.

" _Miss Weasley, thank you for meeting me," Professor Lupin smiled from his desk. The room was covered in the oddest knick knacks I could imagine. A cage filled with fluffy colorful creatures sat in one corner of the room, while a shelf next to it housed a chest that grumbled every few minutes. A teapot that looked older than Hogwarts itself flew off the bookshelf and onto his desk. "Tea?"_

" _Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I'd spent my entire first week back at school avoiding any and everyone around me. The mistakes of the last year haunted me at every corner. I still struggled to look at Nearly Headless Nick without crying._

" _Now, I wanted to ask how you were getting on?" The man asked as he poured me a piping hot cup of tea._

" _Fine," I said._

" _I think it's best, Miss Weasley, that we don't lie to each other. Don't you?"_

 _I shrunk at the question. How did he read me so quickly? "Yes, sir."_

 _"I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that we professors talk to each other."_

 _"Umm, I guess," I replied._

 _"So it wouldn't be too presumptuous of me to offer you my ear should you need it."_

 _"Your ear?" I asked_

 _"If you would ever like to talk about anything, past, present, or future, I will listen. As someone who can relate to what you've been through I could try to offer my help."_

 _"So you've been possessed by a teenage master of dark magic and forced to murder animals and release the beast that tried to kill half the school too?" My voice dripped in sarcasm. Forget respecting your elders, this was not okay. How could he possibly be able to relate to what I'd been through? How could he possibly know._

" _No," He leaned back and stared into his teacup,_ _"but I've been forced to do things that I am not proud of in my life by a beast. I understand how difficult it can be to move on. How are you really getting on?"_

 _My eyes filled with tears that I fought back with every fiber of my being. I would not cry in front of someone I barely knew let alone my professor. And yet, everything in me was begging to just say what was on my mind. "I've been better." I conceded._

 _Professor Lupin placed a tea cup in front of me that I didn't take and leaned back in his chair with his own. "Can I tell you a secret, Ginny?"_

 _No professor had ever called me by my first name before, it felt oddly intimate and yet I liked it. "Sure."_

" _The actions of one sadistic man changed the course of my life forever when I was a boy." My head reeled, what on earth was this about? "That man's actions have caused me to become something that I hate" He took a long pause, "and yet, despite the pain, he caused me and the pain I caused others by proxy, I was still able to live my life. I was able to grow up to be a man I rather like, was able to stand up for what I thought was right, and made friends who became my family." He sipped his tea slowly and studied me for a reaction. "I guess I'm just trying to tell you that it will get better."_

" _When?" I asked._

" _One day," He took another sip of his tea, "and when it feels as if it isn't I would like to offer you my ear or my shoulder to cry on."_

" _Thank you, Professor," I said and let one tear slip past the barrier I'd constructed in my head. I leaned forward and took the tea cup from the edge of the table and sipped slowly. For the first time in almost six months, I let the warmth spread over me and allowed myself to breathe._


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday mornings in Hogwarts seemed to rage on, in the same way, no matter what year it was. Everyone slept in, some more than others, books were hardly cracked, if at all opened, and the sunshine on the grounds beckoned students outside as if to say "Come enjoy it while you still can." Today was no different.

September or 1977 was apparently the warmest on record. Although the crisp smell of fall was clearly in the air, it made no move to overtake the final days of summer. And no one was poised to complain about it. I basked in the sunlight with the Marlene, Dorcas, Sarah Smith, and Lily Evans. If someone had described this moment to me a month ago I would have suggested a direct trip to Saint Mungo's because they had clearly fallen into insanity, but it was real. I sat next to Harry's mum as she read a book on transfiguration and my heart ached to share this moment with him.

Harry really did have his mother's eyes. They were not as I remembered them though because since we'd met Lily seemed to have a subtle dislike of me. Maybe it was because of my friendship with the Marauders who she'd warned me about moments after we were introduced.

 _"You're friends with Potter's lot, yes?" She asked as she took her gleaming head girl badge off the front of her robe and placed it on her bedside table._

 _"Yes, they kept me company sometimes when I was in the hospital wing."_

 _"I don't mean to sound rude, but they're not exactly the best lot to hang around with," She said sounding quite rude in my opinion, "Except for Remus, they're all a bunch of troublemakers."_

 _"I thought James was head boy?" I asked. He'd worn the badge quite proudly on his chest every time I'd seen him. Sirius made it a point to mock it quite often too._

 _"He is," She shook her head and rolled her eyes at that. "I just wouldn't want to you to get into trouble with you being so new here."_

 _"Thank you, Lily," I said with a tight smile, "But I can handle myself."_

I knew that Lily and James had not been the best of friends during school, but to think that she openly hated him came as a major surprise. Despite the fact that she might not have been my number one fan I decided that for the sake of Harry I would help them get together. _Another thing to add to the list,_ I thought to myself. My to-do-in-the-past list grew longer. I welcomed the idea.

"Don't you think so, Ginny?" Marlene's voice interrupted my contemplation.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"Are you even listening?" She heaved a great sigh.

"I wasn't not listening," I said sheepishly as I sat up.

"She's going on about a woman's needs," Dorcas rolled her eyes at me. I laughed at the idea.

"What did Sam do?" I asked Marlene.

"Well if you'd been listening you'd know that it's not what he did, it's what he didn't do." Marlene leaned back dramatically. "Sam is so sweet."

"But?"

"But nothing else," Marlene groaned dramatically as she buried her head in her hands. "I'm not crazy here am I?"

"I'm gonna need a bit more of an explanation before I answer," I angled my

head so I could peak at her through her fingers.

"He won't sleep with me," Marlene muttered.

"He what?" I giggled.

"Oh stuff it, Ginny, you heard me," Marlene snapped as she picked her head up to glare at me. "All he wants to is talk. We talk so much I think my jaw is getting sore."

"You know typically people complain about jaw pain from other things," Sarah drawled from her spot under our tree. She barely even glanced up from her copy of Witch Weekly Magazine as she said it, but I could see a wicked smile brewing behind it.

"Will you all focus?" Marlene groaned at us.

"How can we help, Marley?" Dorcas looked up from her nails, which she had set to painting the muggle way nearly half an hour ago, from the looks of things it was not going well.

"I don't know," Marlene sighed, she leaned back on the grass with a great sigh and threw her arm over her eyes to shield them from the sun. "Help me get laid. I've tried every trick in the book. Nothing works."

"You know," I started, "Sometimes, in my experience, you have to make the first move if you want something done."

"What?" Marlene pushed herself up on her elbows to look at me.

"Boys are stupid." Marlene and Dorcas nodded in agreement.

"Hear, hear," Lily toasted an imaginary glass in my direction without looking up from her copy of _Poisons, Antidotes, and Anecdotes._

"They don't pick up on anything," I thought back to my childhood crush on Harry Potter. "Just tell him what you want. Or better yet, show him."

"I think I will," Marlene replied. "I'm supposed to meet him in an hour, what should I do?"

"Try the astronomy tower, it's pretty romantic after dark," I smiled, thinking about the nights I'd snuck up there with Dean Thomas.

"How do you know about the astronomy tower?" Lily asked. I froze, without even thinking I'd revealed myself.

Shit.

"Umm-" I scrambled, trying to come up with any kind of lie to cover up, "Sirius told me about it."

"He told you about the astronomy tower?" Marlene asked, looking impressed. "I knew he was into you."

"Careful," Dorcas warned, "the girls who join him up there tend to have their hearts broken." She eyed Marlene discreetly.

Marlene stood up quickly "I should get ready to meet Sam."

"Use your words!" I called after her.

"And protection," Dorcas added as Marlene hurried away. We both laughed as she left. "Did Sirius really tell you about the astronomy tower?" She broke me out of my thoughts quickly.

"He told me he was meeting a girl there," My heart beat quickly, living in a house full of boys had taught me to be quick on my feet but it had done nothing to quell the guilt of lying to people I liked.

"Oh," Dorcas eyed me quizzically. She could tell something wasn't quite right. "Poor thing."

"I guess," I looked away quickly and began to study a group of Ravenclaw boys arguing about some philosophical conundrum in the distance. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." I stood up slowly and dusted the dirt and grass off of my jeans.

"Want me to come?" Sarah asked. She was near the back of her magazine now and had clearly grown tired of the astrological section in the back.

"I'm okay." All I wanted was to walk away from my slip. "I was thinking about going over to the Quidditch pitch." Instantly I saw Sarah's dislike of quidditch out way her suspicion.

"We'll be here when you get back then," She sighed as she turned back to the magazine.

"If you need anything," Dorcas called after me as I stood up, "Ask someone else, this polish is trying to kill me."

I laughed and waved over my shoulder as I limped away from the group. They'd all been quite nice to me, even Lily although I could tell it was more out of her duty as the head girl than out of the kindness of her heart. Something was clearly going on there and it had everything to do with my friendship with the Marauders. Two days of spending time with the girls had shown me that little would change in twenty years. The two most important things in life would always be boys and trying to finish Professor McGonagall's transfiguration essay on time. Despite that fact, I found myself faltering constantly.

My cover was good, it was easy. My family was dead. They were killed by Voldemort and his death eaters. I escaped. I was here to finish out the year and then-

 _And then what?_ I thought to myself. Everyone here had a life to live. They had people who loved them, who wanted them to succeed. I had nothing here, nothing but my mission. Once Dumbledore found this book my mission would be complete and then maybe I could go home.

 _How?_ There was no magic that I'd ever heard of that could take someone forward in time. Snape had given me a spell that could take me back: _Tempus Itineranatur._ But something in my gut told me that it would never be able to take me forward.

This was my life now. These were my people now. Soon, I would have to actually take my own advise and let myself be happy. My heart ached at the idea.

My feet had carried me over to the Quidditch pitch. It was empty for a Sunday morning. Typically someone would be having practice or a friendly game of two on two would be going on. Not today. As I neared I saw that there was only one person in the air, someone I knew.

"OI!" I called the boy on the broom. He was far too high up for me to make out his expression, but he turned around on the broom and stared at me. "SIRIUS!" He shook his head and started to fly down to greet me.

"Wrong Black, love," He called as he flew down. As he neared I realized that the long curly black hair was the same but everything else was different. This boy was not Sirius at all. He was shorter than Sirius, but still over six feet tall, and his eyes were grey instead of Blue. The eyes didn't shine like Sirius' did, but they swam with something very different than laughter. This boy was broader and his muscles were far more pronounced than his brothers. He lept off his broom with the agility one could only gain by experience and walked over to me.

"Sorry," I cringed, "You look like Sirius from afar."

"You wound me," He smirked just like his brother and leaned against his broom. "Why don't I know you?"

"I'm new," I replied, watching him study me.

"And you've already fallen under the charms of my stupid brother?" The wind blew his hair in front of his face and I watched him push it back into place with a practiced flourished that screamed 'I know how good I look'. I rolled my eyes. "Such a pity."

"He's a friend," I said coolly.

"How nice," He smiled a perfectly straight and white smile. "I'm not my brother, but maybe I could meet your needs in his absence."

"I didn't really have any," I confessed as he pushed his windswept hair back into place with a perfected technique. "I was a little desperate to fly."

"Fancy a turn?" He offered me his broom as if he was offering me his most prized possession, and if I knew anything it likely was. The offer sounding so enticing, the idea of feeling the wind blowing in my face, of racing around the pitch, made my heart ache, but Madam Pomfrey's words rang loud and clear in my head _Take it easy._

"I can't," I sighed with great reluctance.

"Is it because I'm a Slytherin?" He smirked. "Come on, you haven't been here long enough to be poisoned with that nonsense."

"No," I laughed a little, "I promised Madam Pomfrey that I'd take it easy for a bit longer."

His smirk turned into a frown as he furrowed his brow and paused to think. "Wait a minute, are you the mystery hospital wing girl?"

"My reputation proceeds me," I rolled my eyes, "Does everyone know?"

"Probably," he scoffed, "Our beater, Crumholtz, was in there Monday evening."

"Your beater?" I asked. "Didn't he get a bludger to the face?"

"I didn't say he was a good beater." I laughed, when Crumholtz had come in I'd been reading a book that Remus had given me, called Transfiguration Tomorrow, and he'd rushed in covered with blood and missing half a dozen teeth. "But he does have a big mouth, so it's likely that everyone knows about the new girl in the hospital wing."

"Is there nothing better to talk about at this school?" I groaned as a buried my face in my hands.

"No," He drawled.

"Why didn't Sirius tell me had a brother?" I asked.

"Maybe it slipped his mind," his face turned dark. "Are you sure about the ride?" He changed the subject quickly, something was left unsaid. I racked my brain, all I remembered about Sirius's brother was that he followed in his families footsteps. Yet, this boy in front of me seemed anything but blood crazed.

"I really can't," I said finally, "but the minute I'm cleared I'm stealing your broom."

"Good luck with that, Red." He winked at me again. "I better be going."

"Should I give Sirius your regards?"

"No need," He nodded at something in the distance. I turned around to see all four marauders marching toward us with a fury I hadn't witnessed before. Sirius led the pack but James was close behind. It was Remus at the caboose who looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here. As they neared I watched him mouth a silent _I'm so sorry._

"You harassing women now?" Sirius spat at his brother. Now that they stood in front of each other their differences were even more pronounced. Sirius's hair was far longer, and he stood nearly three inches higher than his brother. His nose was rounder, while Sirius's was sharp. Sirius sported a five o clock shadow and the ragged haircut that screamed 'I don't care' while the other was neatly trimmed and shaved stating clearly that he did. I'd always known that Sirius had a brother, but I couldn't remember anything about him other than the fact that the two were obviously not close.

"I don't think it's considered harassment when the woman approaches you," the shorter boy drawled as he studied his nail beds.

"She must have been mistaken then," Sirius said through gritted teeth

"We're friends, aren't we Red?" Regulus smiled slyly at me, this smile far more menacing than the one from early. It reminded me of a dark figure who'd made my life a living hell.

"Nice try," James said as he pulled his wand out, "Move along."

"Oh, mind your own business, Potter," Regulus scoffed at the wand being drawn and pointed at his chest. "Red and I were having a chat."

"And now the chat is over," Sirius replied tersely.

"I can speak for myself, thanks," I interrupted. Sirius and James, who'd had their backs to me, turned quickly to look.

"Ginny we're just trying to-" Sirius began but I cut him off.

"I'm not here to get in the middle of whatever the hell you lot have going on." I pushed my way through Sirius and James to speak to his brother. "My name's Ginny by the way, never got yours."

"Regulus," He drawled. I could see the intense enjoyment he got from watching the marauders reactions to being told off.

"Pleasure," I replied, "sorry to ruin your afternoon." I turned around and started to leave all of the boys behind me but a thought popped into my head as I did that I couldn't walk away without sharing. "By the way, don't lean so hard into your turns. It's throwing off your balance. You'll spend half the game recovering. Try leaning away."

"I knew you played," He said with a glint of admiration in his eyes.

"Once upon a time," I said.

"Fancy a 1 on 1?" Regulus asked.

"No thanks," I replied, "I only play games that I think will be a challenge. Nice to meet you." I turned around and walked away. I could feel five sets of eyes on me as I left the conversation. I turned around quickly before I was out of earshot, "Don't forget you owe me a ride!" What had started as a simple walk alone had ended in some brother on brother pissing match. It was just as exhausting as the ones I'd watched go down in the Weasley household, only this time no one accidentally exploded anything.

"Ginny, wait!" I heard Remus call after me. I tried to hurry away without being caught, but my legs still couldn't quite carry me the way that they used to and Remus was by my side in a minute. "Sorry about that, there's a lot of history there."

"So I noticed," I replied. I continued to try and shake Remus, I wasn't much in the mood to talk to him after witnessing the near attack on Regulus because of a simple mistake. However, the spinning in my head at the exertion of it all made me stop to steady myself.

"You alright, Ginny?" He asked.

"Mhmm," I said as I closed my eyes and willed the world to stop spinning. "Damn spell."

"Spell?" He asked. I'd never mentioned the spell that had brought me here before, only that I got here.

"Never mind," I back peddled. The world was still spinning and I needed to rest so I sank down in the grass and put my head between my knees.

"Ginny, should I go get Pomfrey?" He knelt down in front of me and took my wrist so he could feel my pulse. Just as he did it I felt the world come into focus and was able to pick my head up.

"I'm fine, Remus, just too much exertion is all," I sighed as I pulled my wrist away. He looked at me like a mother hen looking after her chick, like my mother had. I smiled at the idea. "Care to explain what that was all about?"

"That's a question for Sirius, not me," He sat down next to me in the grass as we watched Sirius, James, and Peter storming in our direction.

"Well this should be fun," I said. The three boys were in front of me within seconds. Peter looked like the ultimate hype man who didn't see any of the action but was ready to perform all the commentary. James' face was red like it was about to explode, and Sirius stared at me with stone cold eyes and a steely face. "Everything alright?"

"You met Regulus, then?" Sirius said through gritted teeth. His hands were alternating between tight white-knuckled fists and splayed fingers. He looked like he wanted to punch something but was restraining himself.

"You were there, Sirius," I replied.

"Why were you talking to him then?" Peter asked from behind James and Sirius. If the two boys in front hadn't looked so angry I might have laughed at the fact that Peter was forced to jump into the air to be seen from behind them.

"Not that it's any of your business," I snapped, "But I thought I was talking to Sirius at first."

I saw the tension in Sirius' shoulders release, and the redness in James' face dissipate. "Oh," James said first.

"Which makes the fact that you four show up and threaten him to be very disappointing," I interjected before anyone could say anything.

"Ginny-" Remus started, but I held up my finger to stop him. I spent a moment glaring down each boy, though I did have to skip Peter because the second I spoke he hid behind James and Sirius as if they were his human shields.

"You all have been so kind to me since I arrived," I began, "I appreciate your friendship very much, but do not think for a moment that I would hesitate f to hex any of you if you try to push your opinions of other people onto me." I glared at Sirius in particular when I said that. "I can handle myself."

"We just-" Sirius started.

"I don't care," I interrupted. I stood up quickly hoping to end my berating by storming off, but my body had other ideas. All of the blood in my body rushed to my head and an overwhelming wave of dizziness hit me again. This time, it blurred my vision and brought me to my knees. James was the first one there to grab me. He lowered me to a seated position very slowly.

"Take it easy, Ginny." He said soothingly as my heart pounded in my ears. I felt another pair of hands pull my hair off of my neck to let the cool breeze hit it. It was a godsend. Remus knelt in front of me watching my face and checking my pulse again.

"Ginny, I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey," Remus said just as my vision started to return.

"NO!" I almost shouted. All three boys stopped in their tracks at my outburst. "I'm fine, just got too fired up."

"Well if this what you're like while sick then I hope to never get on your bad side when you're healthy," James joked. Sirius let out a barking laugh, and Peter laughed far harder than anyone should have.

"Then don't threaten innocents in my presence, Potter," I joked back.

"She's fine," James called, raising his hands to shoo Remus away from me. "Sense of humor's intact, she'll survive." I laughed with the Marauders this time and it calmed the pounding in my head and helped with the dizziness.

"You sure you're alright, Ginny?" Sirius asked quietly, still keeping a calming hand on my back and holding my hair up off my neck. I took my hair from his hands and pushed it over my shoulder so the breeze could still catch me from time to time.

"I'm fine," I was still annoyed at him, but something about the way he was looking at me made me forgive him far sooner than I wanted to. His blue eyes studied me waiting for any sign that I was lying. When he found none, he nodded his head and stood quickly.

"Well, I'm knackered, who's hungry?" Sirius asked.

"I'm starving," Peter replied. During my whole episode, he'd stayed rooted in his spot. He wasn't one to help anyone other than himself, but I'd never been particularly kind to him. Despite my attempts to make friends with people whose fates I knew, this was one bridge I had not dared to cross. Peter Pettigrew was far worse than a murderer, he was a traitor, and nothing he did would ever change that fact.

"I can always count on you, Pete." Sirius smiled at the boy next to him and looked toward the rest of us. "You coming?"

"I could eat," James replied.

"Might as well," Remus conceded and then they all turned to me. "Are you coming?"

"Oh, I told the girls I'd come back over after my walk," I looked over to see Dorcas still engrossed in her book.

"They can come," Sirius shrugged. "HEY LADIES!" He shouted over to Lily, Sarah, and Dorcas with his hands cupped around his mouth. They looked up from their various activities looking very irate or, in Sarah's case, quite excited. "WE'RE GOING TO EAT, YOU COMING?" I watched Lily roll her eyes very dramatically and collect her bag and book. Dorcas took out her wand and vanished the mess she'd made with the nail polish. Sarah was up and on her feet in a second. They started to make their way over to our group, apparently too slow, "HURRY UP!" Sirius yelled again "GINNY HERE WILL WASTE AWAY IF SHE HAS TO WAIT FOR MUCH LONGER!" Lily glared at me this time but smiled a little as I elbowed Sirius sharply in the side.

"Black, you're really something aren't you?" Dorcas said with disdain when they'd joined our group.

"Hey, if you lot had waited any longer I think Cole over here would have broken my rib. She's an impatient one, let me tell you." Sirius looked over to me like it was my fault that he had been yelling.

"Oh yes, you know me," I glared at Sirius, "Ever the impatient one."

"Your words, not mine." Sirius winked down at me as he started toward the castle with our little gang in tow.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I apologize for the insane amount of time this took to publish. I hope you enjoy it.

The first day of classes came far sooner than I could have anticipated. I stood in the bathroom smoothing out the hair tucked back in a loose French braid on my head as I avoided joining my roommates for breakfast. I'd never been a fan of firsts: first dates, first games of the season, and especially the first day of classes. I had an incurable knot in my stomach that had set in sometime around dinner last night and had not let up since. I'd tossed and turned in my bed until nearly two in the morning. Nothing I did would stop my mind from running the same series of unanswerable questions over and over again. What were the classes like? Would I be able to handle them considering the joke of an education I'd had over the course of the last few years? Would I be able to catch up? Would I be able to sit in the classrooms without the memories of everything that had happened to me last year racing to the forefront of my mind?

Everything about Hogwarts was different here, of that I was sure. There would be no Carrow siblings forcing me to perform the Cruciatus curse on first years. I wouldn't be forced to sit through a Muggle Studies class that only discussed the evils of non magical folk. Most of all, I wouldn't be forced to sit in a classroom knowing that my family was in danger hundreds of miles away.

That last thought helped to take an edge off my anxiety, however, nothing could answer my questions except leaving the bathroom and going to class. I summoned up a little bit of Gryffindor courage, tucked one pesky stray hair behind my ear, and opened the door.

"Happy first day of hell!" Dorcas called from her bed, where she sat perfecting her lip gloss.

"Oh don't listen to her Ginny," Lily tutted as she grabbed her books, "You're going to have the best year of your life."

"It'll be something," Marlene replied. "Come on, I'll walk you down to breakfast. We have Transfiguration together first thing."

"Thanks," I said as I nervously smiled up at her. "I hate the first day of classes."

"I've got your back, Gin, don't worry," Marlene smirked as she hooked her arm through mine and marched me down to breakfast.

For everyone else this was just a typical Monday. As we entered the great hall I saw students yawning into their eggs and a few trying to put the finishing touches on their Charms essay next to a glass of orange juice. As we entered the Marauders sat in their usual spot at the center of the table. Remus looked wide awake as he read his copy of the daily prophet and munched on buttered toast. Peter, whose head leaned on his hand, snored above a bowl of oatmeal while James and Sirius whispered conspiratorially while glancing over at the Slytherin table. Marlene made a bee line over to them.

"Good morning, Gentlemen," She smiled at them all in a way that only Marlene could, "Are these seats taken?"

"They are now," Sirius and James scooted apart to let us sit in between them. Marlene quickly took the spot closer to James and nudged me closer to Sirius as she sat. "How's the head, love?"

"It's been worse," I shrugged as I reached for a slice of toast.

"You look pale," Remus said with a glance up from his paper.

"I'm fine," I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm not a fan of first days is all."

"Ginny Cole is afraid of something?" James leaned back in astonishment at the thought. "I didn't think you were such a nervous Nellie."

"I'm not," I rolled my eyes at him but smiled as I buttered my toast. " I just hate the anticipation is all."

"She spent nearly an hour staring in the mirror this morning," Marlene added, "She's pretty afraid."

"I get nervous too, Ginny," Remus smiled a warm smile at me over his prophet. "Don't let them make you feel bad."

"I won't," I said feeling a bit better, but as I bit into my toast it turned to cardboard in my mouth and I couldn't eat anymore. I may not have felt bad about being anxious, but that didn't change the fact that I was feeling it. "Any tips for the new kid?"

"McGonagall loves to know it all's so make sure you correct her in class," James piped up. I'd spent the past six years as one of her top students and I knew for a fact that there was nothing the woman hated more than students who tried to correct her in class.

"Is that so?" I quirked my eyebrow at him.

"Oh yes," Sirius nodded enthusiastically at me, "And be sure to never look down at Professor Flitwick, he prefers that students crouch to his level." I knew this one was very false, nothing would have insulted the man more.

"And be very careful around Professor Slughorn," James said solemnly. "He hates students who already know a lot about potions. He really prefers to be the one to teach you, so if you're good just play dumb."

"And what do you say to that Remus?" I asked the boy across the table who shook his head in mirth at his friends.

"I'd follow their advice," He replied, "But only if I wanted to be the most hated student in the castle." I laughed with him as both James and Sirius sputtered in frustration at their friend and fellow marauder for having ruined what would have been a hilarious practical joke had I not had Fred and George Weasley for brothers.

"You're no fun, Moony," James grumbled into his porridge.

"You'll be just fine, Ginny, just ignore everything they say to you and you'll be great," Remus smiled warmly before turning back to his copy of the prophet. His brow furrowed as he read and I saw something strange flash in his eyes.

"Any news?" I asked him in the hopes of distracting myself.

"Nothing good," Remus sighed, "the same old thing. Minister telling everyone to stay calm, missing people all over." He rolled his eyes in irritation at the idea of the no news, news.

"Same shit different day," Sirius shook his head as Remus turned the page and sucked in a sharp breath.

"What?" I asked as his eyes scanned the page quickly.

"There was an attack in Cork. They killed over two dozen people, half of them were children." I drew in a sharp breath and felt a pang in my stomach. The attack on Cork was a major battle during the first war. Voldemort went in person and reeked havoc on it's inhabitants. The dark mark stayed in the sky for two weeks, whatever magic had been used to place it there was far greater than any that could be used to remove it. I'd visited the village of Cork when I was ten years old. My mother had taken me to the monument that had been erected in the victims honor. In the center of town square there stood the statue of a child clutching a small bear and looking up at their unpictured murderer. The plaque read, _In honor of the lost children of Cork and those who gave their lives trying to protect them._

"How isn't that front page news?" Marlene gasped in shock. The story was buried on the eighth page next to advertisements for sleek easy hair potion, and Flourish and Blots.

"You alright?" Sirius whispered to me comfortingly.

"I know Cork," I muttered under my breath. "He was targeting the children."

"Who?" Remus asked, shocked at the very idea.

"Voldemort," I said matter of factly. Remus and James shuddered as Marlene let out a squeak. Sirius jerked his head over his shoulder as if the wizard might turn up right behind us. "He wanted to kill the children."

"But that's-" Marlene started.

"That's the truth," I cut her off. "He wants us to know that he doesn't care who you are, or what you are. He doesn't discriminate. If you get in his way he will kill you."

"Ginny is that," James started to ask but took a long deep breath in the middle. He continued, "Is that what happened to your family?"

I took a long pause as I looked at him and hated myself for bringing up something so dark. _The war isn't here,_ I thought to myself. No one had threated my friends safety yet. They had no idea what was waiting for them on the other side of the wards at Hogwarts. My family may not have been gone yet, but I knew that had it not been for the order, we would have all been killed a long time ago. There was no way I could let them continue thinking that everything would be okay, because it wouldn't. I looked James in the eye and replied very seriously, "Yes."

I walked into potions class feeling a nervous anticipation for one of my least favorite subjects in school. The dark and steamy dungeon was almost identical to the one I'd spent the last six years in. A dozen caldrons lay around the room their contents were in various states of completion. At the front of the room a piece of chalk was writing the instructions for today's potion on a large blackboard. Next to it stood Professor Slughorn.

He looked almost exactly the same as he would in twenty years. He was just as round and jolly looking as he beckoned his students come in. His cheeks had an almost rosy glint to them and he chortled a bit as he saw his favorite students enter and greet him. As soon as I saw him I ducked my head, hoping desperately that he would let me slide in unnoticed. I saw James, Sirius, and Remus sit down at a table in the corner and hurried over to join them, but just as I began to make my way over I was spotted.

"You must be Ginevra Cole," His voice boomed across the room. I cringed internally at all of the attention that was now on me and felt a blush journey up my neck as a few Slytherins, along with James and Sirius, sniggered from the corner.

"Yes, but please it's just Ginny," I replied as I walked up to him.

"Professor Dumbledore told me so much about you, he's a proud man that Albus," His eyes sparkled.

"I'm not all that great," I muttered hoping he would tell me where to sit and turn the attention away from me. My hope was all for naught as he grasped my hand in his, making it disappear in his massive paws.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense. He told me you're something of a transfiguration prodigy."

"Of course he did," I looked around the room hoping someone would save me but when I locked eyes with Remus he smirked at me the way only a marauder could. I glared at him in response. It seemed that all of the marauders, minus Peter who had not managed to make it into many NEWT level classes, were only interested in watching Slughorn fawn over me from the safety of the back left corner of the classroom. They were dead.

"He didn't mention anything about your potions ability, so I guess we will just have to wait and see about that, won't we?"

"I suppose," I smiled cautiously, "Um, can I sit?"

"Oh how silly of me," He chortled as he gazed around the room. "We are in the midst of brewing amortentia, you will need a partner." As he looked around the room again I breathed a sigh of relief that Professor Snape had made us brew amotentia during my fifth year OWL course. "Here will do quite nicely." He gestured toward an empty seat next to a skinny dark-haired boy in the front row. His nose was buried in his note book as he scribbled down the instructions for the days potion. His hair was matted to his head in a way that could only be described as greasy. "Mr. Snape?" My breath caught in my throat as the boy Snape looked up from his notes.

"Professor?" He drawled in a manor that wouldn't change in twenty years.

"Miss. Cole will be your partner, do be a sport and catch her up will you?"

The Slytherin's eyes looked me up and down as an appreciative smirk plastered itself onto his face. I groaned internally at the idea of Severus Snape finding me attractive in any way, shape, or form. "It will be my pleasure, Professor." I moved to sit down next to him and caught the eye of Remus as I did. He sniggered behind his hand and mouthed _good luck_ as I did. "I'm Severus," he smiled a tight-lipped smile that he obviously thought was attractive.

"Ginny," I returned his smile with a weary one of my own. It was just like the workings of the universe to force us together like this. As I looked at the boy I was reminded of my promise to him. _Do not leave me to him, Ginny I beg you._ His words rang in my head. Before me was an innocent boy, not a murder or my tormentor, a boy. I would help him. _Help the boy, save the man._

"I've finished chopping everything but the grinleroot buds. The instructions say finely chop but that will take forever. Just-"

"Crush them with the flat of my blade, no problem," I cut him off. His tone was not one I was familiar with. I would much rather listen to him talk down to me, as he would when he was my teacher. This was far worse. He talked to me in a new way, a way that I could only describe as flirtatious.

"You've brewed amortentia before?" He smirked, clearly impressed as I crushed the grinleroot buds with my knife.

"Once," I said curtly. He scooped the crushed buds into his hand and slowly added them to the potion as I charmed the cauldron to stir 12 times counterclockwise and once clockwise.

"You're only supposed to stir counterclockwise," He jumped up to stop the stirring but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Only if you want it to take an extra hour to brew," I scoffed as I pushed him back into his seat.

"How do you know so much about potions?" He asked skeptically, the flirtatious tone gone from his voice.

"I don't," I replied. His eyebrows rose and nearly made contact with his greasy black hair. "Just know a few things is all." His face relaxed but his guard did not come down. He looked down at the cauldron as the potion turned from a muddy green to a dark purple.

"That's not supposed to happen yet," His face scrunched in confusion as he started writing note ferociously in a small leather-bound notebook.

"One clockwise stir speeds up the process," I rolled my eyes at him. He continued to write as he studied the cauldron and watched it began to fade from dark purple to light. "Better add the essence of poppy before it gets too light." His head shot up as he fixed me with a perplexed look. He reached for the glass bottle next to the cauldron and added 3 drops of essence of poppy. The cauldron began to simmer and faded to pink. "Told you so." We stared at each other and I saw a look of apprehensive appreciation cross his face. I met his eyes with some weariness of my own. Had I just impressed _the_ Severus Snape? The answer seemed to be yes.

"Well done!" The voice of Horace Slughorn forced my gaze away from Snape's. " 'I'm not all that great' my foot," He mocked my earlier statement. "Class, if you will look closely Mr. Snape and Ms. Cole have achieved the perfect color for amortentia, and earlier than expected too."

"Aren't they just the perfect pair?" I heard James snigger from across the room. I turned my head quickly to fix him with a glare.

Slughorn leaned over the cauldron and inhaled deeply, his face lit up when the smell hit him, "It smells just right, here why don't the two of you smell." He encouraged us to lean over the cauldron and inhale. I watched Snape bend over to smell it and saw his face tinge pink when the scent hit him. His eyes jerked toward the other side of the front row where Lily Evans sat with some Slytherin girl who was giving her a very hard time. _Interesting._ "And what about you Miss Cole?" Slughorn asked. I flashed him a smile and leaned over to inhale.

It smelled like waking up in the morning, just after the sun has come over the horizon and before anyone has woken up. The fresh smell of morning air over the hills of home right as the morning dew has set. Next I smelled Fleetwood's High Finish Broom Polish like it was open right next to me. It reminded me of all those nights before a quidditch game when I would polish my broomstick to quell my nerves. Just like I always did. Right as I was about to stand up I smelled something I didn't remember from the last time I'd made amortentia. It reminded me of fire in the way that it burned at the back of my nose, but that wasn't quite right. It might have been laundry in the way that I wanted to bury my face in the smell, but that wasn't it either. Whatever it was, I'd definitely smelled it before.

"Smells nice," I murmured, still perplexed at the newest scent.

"While I can't pretend to be surprised, but I must say that I am impressed. Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for an exceptional potion." Slughorn announced to the room full of students who stood over their cauldrons in various states of panic. Next to no one had a potion that looked anything like ours. "May I ask who is responsible for such success."

"It was a group effort," I answered before Snape could say otherwise.

"Well done," the man before us smiled. "I think we've found you a worthy partner Mr. Snape."

"Oh, Professor that won't be necessary-" Snape began to sputter in protest.

"Really, sir, I can work with-" I added in the hope that it might help, but Slughorn held up a meaty hand to both of us.

" Partners, it is." He looked around the class to see if anyone else had reached the desired antidote color and consistency. "Well, seeing as we have one perfect potion nearly thirty minutes ahead of schedule, I do believe the two of you are dismissed." He beamed at us as he said it, and I hurried to grab my books and bag to get away from the old man and my new partner as soon as possible. "We will begin our study on poisons starting next week. I will expect two rolls of parchment on my desk come Monday on the differences between poisons, and their antidotes."

I smiled politely at Professor Slughorn and slung my bag over my shoulder as I turned to leave. Just as I was about to reach the door I looked to my left and found all three marauders staring in desperation at the potion before them. It was a deep navy and spewing an awful smelling black smoke. Remus was chopping grinleroot as quickly as possible while Sirius and James were attempting to sabotage the potion next to theirs when the two Ravenclaws weren't looking. I rolled my eyes and made my way over the their table while Professor Slughorn's back was turned.

"Crush the root, don't chop," I whispered to Remus. His eyes shot up to mine and seemed to scream 'Are you crazy?'

"The instructions clearly say-" He began and showed me the notes in his book and I sighed in annoyance again.

"The instructions are overly complicated. Crush the root, then stir 12 times counterclockwise and once clockwise. It should put you back on track." I replied. Remus eyed me apprehensively but complied with my instructions none the less.

"You said you hate potions," James whispered accusingly.

"Never said I was bad at it," I replied cheekily. "See you at dinner boys." I nodded my head and winked as I turned towards the door again. My detour meant that Snape had made it out of the classroom before me and as I exited I saw him leaning against the wall eyeing me suspiciously.

He looked fifty years younger than when he was my professor, and didn't seem bogged down with the stress of double agent-hood. His hair was long, chopped neatly at his chin, and looked like it desperately needed a wash. His black eyes squinted when I made eye contact and a smirk appeared on his face. He pushed himself away from the wall in a way that I could only describe as graceful and he fell into step beside me as I began to walk toward the Gryffindor common room.

"How are you so good at potions?" He asked accusingly after a few moments of silence.

"I had a good teacher, I suppose," I replied. I laughed a little at the fact that Severus Snape had no idea I was complimenting him to his face.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I shook my head and turned toward the first stair case that would lead to the first floor corridor. Snape's words rang in my mind once again, and I knew that keeping this boy at arms length wouldn't help me keep my promise to him. Yes, he would become a death eater sooner rather than later and eventually a murderer, but I couldn't convict him of crimes that he had yet to commit. I paused before going up the stairs and turned to him slowly. "Do you want to work on the assignment together? I'm no good at poisons but pretty good when it comes to antidotes."

Snape's brow furrowed as he took in my request and his smirk turned into more of a snarl, "Did Potter or Black put you up to this?"

"What?" I asked in astonishment.

"Those idiots convinced you to help them didn't they?" He took a step closer and the look in his eyes scared me more than any look I'd ever seen from him. Sure, Severus Snape had frightened me once or twice but his eyes had never looked so threatening as they did right now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied, I even took a step away from him for fear of what he might do. "I honestly just wanted help, but if you're not comfortable-"

"Oy, Snivellus," the voice from down the hall broke our eye contact immediately and we both turned toward Sirius, and James as they walked down the corridor toward us. "Can't you find a date without scaring a girl into it?" James taunted him as they drew closer.

"Potter, can't you find a place where you are actually wanted?" Snape sighed as he stepped away from me. I saw him casually draw his hand toward his pocket where, I assumed, his wand must have been.

"Step away from her, Snivellus," Sirius warned through gritted teeth as he pointed his wand in our direction.

"I don't think I will, dog," Snape replied. A fire went through Sirius at the word 'dog' and for a second I saw the haunted eyes of a man who might spend twelve years in Azkaban. He took a step forward so that he and Snape were only inches apart. "What is it Black? Afraid someone might steal your new plaything out from under your nose?" It was my turn to feel a fire flash through me as I stepped in between the brewing fight, pushing Sirius back as I did.

"That's enough," I nearly shouted.

"Ginny we were just-" James began but I cut him off.

"I know what you were doing and I will not let a school boy grudge influence who I do and do not talk to. Now," I turned to face Snape as he and Sirius continued to glare daggers at one another, "I will be in the library Sunday at three, either show and help me or don't. But a word of warning, I do not take kindly to people who threaten me. So either keep your distance and hands to yourself, or face my wrath." I watched as Snape broke contact with Sirius and stared at me to see just how serious I was being. When he saw that there was no joke he turned his face blank and nodded.

"And as for you two," I turned to face James and Sirius as they were sharing a laugh at my words toward their enemy, "you need to learn that what you do here has consequences out there." Both their smiles dropped off their faces just as quickly as they'd appeared. "Don't be so stupid as to make an enemy when you could be making an ally. And I'm quite adept in a fight, I don't need you to defend me." Both boys looked sheepish as I berated them, and it was that exact moment when Remus came walking down the hall. His face lit up with a smile as he saw James, Sirius, and me standing near the stairs.

"Ginny, you have no idea how much I owe you," He started to say but his voice trailed off as he saw Snape standing just behind me. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing," I replied, "I'm going for a walk around the grounds, care to join me?"

"Umm, sure," He said as he continued to take in the sheepish looks of James and Sirius and the blank quizzical face of Severus Snape. He started to make his way over to the stairs and we started to climb.

"See you Thursday, Severus," I tossed over my shoulder as we left.

The rest of the week went far better than I could have anticipated. Professor Flitwick was still teaching a top of the same stack of books as he would be in twenty years. His chortle of praise when I charmed a set of knitting needles to make a hat made me feel a sense of pride I hadn't felt in the classroom since Voldemort had come back. The fifteen points he awarded Gryffindor when I gave him the cap at the end of the lesson helped too. Runes was still just as perplexing as it always was. Defense class was taught by Professor Montello, a tall man who reminded me of Pious Thickness in appearance, but who had spent a decade as a dragon tamer and the past fifteen years as an Unspeakable. I'd managed to impress him with my corporal Patronus in our second lesson and was excused from homework because of it. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness when I realized I would never be able to thank Harry for that favor. The true highlight of my week had been transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had called me a transfiguration prodigy in my first year. It was honestly the only happy memory I have from that time. She offered to let me watch the class as they were tested on their ability to transfigure themselves beyond recognition. She was more than pleasantly surprised when I was able to transfigure myself into what I can only describe as an ode to Albus Dumbledore. If I were grading you, she said, you would receive top marks. It was the highest point of my week by far. Even still I was still left with a small mountain of homework and a serious lack of motivation to do it.

I sat in front of a roaring fire in the common room on Friday night, watching lazily as Sirius and James played a game of exploding snap before me. My eyelids drooped as the small explosions reminded me so much of Fred and George that it acted as a lullaby. My strength was slowly returning, I could feel it everytime I climbed the steps to Gryffindor tower. If things continued like this I was sure that Madame Pomfrey would clear me for all physical activity at my check up on Monday. The thought of riding on a broom again made me smile, it had been nearly six months since I last received that thrill. With thoughts of flight, I continued to doze to the sounds of James and Sirius' laughter. Remus was lounging in a chair nearby putting the finishing touches on the transfiguration essay I had finished the day it was assigned. Peter was no where to be found, though I can't pretend that I missed him.

"Take that you wanker," James half yelled as he dealt the finishing blow to Sirius. Sirius looked at his friend in betrayal.

"How could you?" He gaped, clutching at his heart.

"Well it's not like you made it very hard," James replied as he pushed his glasses up his nose. The action reminded me so much of Harry. _Harry,_ who seemed like a distant memory and a fierce reality all at once. My heart ached at that moment and I felt a burning behind my eyes like I wanted to cry, which I didn't.

"You're upsetting the beautiful lady, Prongs!" Sirius said as he gestured toward me.

"You're really upsetting everyone, James," the voice of Lily Evans saved me from what could have been a very awkward conversation. I turned my head to see her standing behind me with her hands on her hips. She reminded me of Hermione in that moment, if Hermione had ever gotten the chance to be Head Girl, "It's almost thirty minutes to curfew and you should really be keeping quiet."

"Don't be such a party pooper, Evans," Sirius groaned as threw himself onto the couch next to me, throwing a lazy arm over the back of the sofa without touching me. He was so close that I could feel the heat of him radiating toward me. I wonder what it would be like to move closer, I thought to myself.

"I'm not being a party pooper, Sirius, I am doing my job as head girl," Lily replied. The look she gave Sirius could have stopped a dementor in his tracks. I laughed at Sirius as he looked away, unaffected.

"Oh come on, love," James smiled his most charming smile at Lily as he walked toward her, "We were just trying to have some fun on this beautiful Hogwarts eve."

"Well you might think to be a bit more considerate next time," Lily replied, but it was with far less ferocity. She almost looked flustered.

"Anything for you, love," James continued to smile and even added a wink this time. At that, I saw a true genuine blush spread across her cheeks in response. Sirius tapped my shoulder to point it out, and I sent him a sideways smirk to say I'd seen it too. When we made eye contact I saw a spark light in his eyes.

"You know, Evans, I just had an idea that would make sure this common room is very quiet this evening." Lily broke eye contact to look at Sirius in surprise, it was almost like she'd forgotten anyone else was even here.

"Oh?" She asked.

"James and I were talking this morning about how it's going to be ages until we see another Hogsmeade weekend, and that was just not going to do, especially considering that Miss Cole here will have to wait until _Halloween_ to experience The Three Broomsticks for the first time," He began to say conspiratorily.

"Well there isn't anything that we can do about that, is there?" She shook her head in annoyance.

"But what if there was?" James had clearly gotten the gist of where this conversation was going and was right on board. I sat up too wondering where exactly they were going with this.

"Well I would guess that it's probably against school rules and obviously not going to happen," She replied in a way that said the case was closed, but Sirius and James would have none of that.

"Oh come on, Evans," Sirius looked at the head girl as if it was a dare, "Don't you know how to have fun?"

"Of course I know how to have fun," he had clearly struck a nerve.

"What if we promise to keep you both out of trouble?" James offered.

"Both?" Lily asked in shock, "You're not seriously going to force Ginny, who has only been here for a week, who is still in recovery, and who must have far better things to be doing, to come along. Are you?"

"I'm in," I decided to join in on the conversation.

"What?" Lily had clearly been hoping for an ally in this fight, but seeing as I was desperate for an adventure and definitely wanted to see Lily and James get together in this decade, she would find no such ally in me.

"I'm in for an adventure," I replied as I stood up.

"You need to be resting, this week was probably exhausting for you. Don't you think Madam Pomfrey would be livid if you ruined your recovery by going out? You could get hurt!" She began to protest, but I held up my hand in response.

"Well then you better come. You know, just in case I get hurt," I shrugged at her. I watched her sputter as she weighed the pros of staying verses the cons of going. I saw Sirius eye me appreciatively and James stare at Lily hopefully. She was starting to go red in the face when I finally said, "Well?"

"Come on, love, it'll be fun and you'll be back before anyone even knows we're gone," James added with a touch of desperation in his voice. Lily saw him and her eyes seemed to clear of confusion.

"Fine," She replied. Sirius' bark of laughter made the four of us jump and James gave a fist pump of victory in response.

"How about you Mooney?" James turned to the boy in the armchair who didn't seem to blink at all at the plan that had been laid out.

"I promised Wormtail I'd help him with his potions essay when he got back tonight," He shrugged.

"Right," James nodded, "Okay, is ten minutes enough?"

"For what?" Lily asked. Both boys eyed us as if we'd missed something obvious.

"You'll need to change," Sirius answered, "We can't keep you out of trouble when you both clearly look like you shouldn't be outside of the castle." He was talking about the school robes we were wearing. Obviously, we couldn't look like students if we were to stay out of trouble.

"Ten minutes is perfect," I nodded and grabbed Lily's hand as we went upstairs to change.

"Bring the head girl robe," James called right before we were out of sight.

We ran up the stairs, or in my case hobbled, as quickly as we could. Lily was far more flustered than I had ever seen her as we entered our dormitory and found that it was empty.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Lily sputtered as she ripped open her trunk and began to dig through it.

"Oh come on, Lily," I panted, clutching the stitch in my side, as I limped over to my own, "you might just have fun." She let out a snort in response as she continued to search her trunk. As I slowly caught my breath I pulled out a new pair of dark jeans that, with the shrinking charm Parvati Patil taught me in the third year, just might fit.

"Does this look okay?" Lily asked in a panic as she turned to show me the outfit she'd thrown on in her frenzy. A pair of burgundy flare corduroys and a baggy black sweater.

"You look great," I replied in earnest as I reached for a light blue sweater that caught my eye.

"Don't lie," She groaned as she tugged the sweater over her head and turned back to the trunk to dig for another. I began to dress myself and smiled at the adorable panic that had set on the usually calm Lily Evans. This was no anxiety at the thought of rule breaking, no this had everything to do with the rule breaker himself. She pulled a long-sleeved dark green turtleneck over her head and turned to me again, this time with delirium in her eyes. "How about this?"

"Lily," I laughed as she turned to dig through the trunk. With her hair still stuck under the shirt's collar, and the fact that it was inside out, she looked like a madwoman.

"What?" She turned around quickly to face me, holding a grey sweater and a school skirt in either hand.

"Put the black sweater back on. It looks better with those pants, and you'll be much warmer," I said as I walked over to take the sweater and skirt from her. "Besides, it doesn't really even matter what you wear, James will think you're beautiful no matter what." Her cheeks blushed pink and she pulled the turtleneck over her face to hide it from me.

"Oh I don't care about that," She lied. She still took my advise none the less. "I don't like James in that way."

"If you say so," I smiled and tossed her skirt and sweater into her trunk. I walked over to my own and ran a brush through my hair as we spoke. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"What?" Lily almost screeched, dropping both of the boots she was holding in shock.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to," I laughed as she knelt to grab them and pull them onto her feet, the wrong feet I might add.

"No, Ginny, I want to go," She said, more to herself than me, "I can't just leave you alone with those two, you'll go insane or die or-"

"Or have a great time," I smirked as I pulled out my wand to attempt to make the jeans fit better. In the corner of my eye, I saw Lily realize her shoe mistake and try to fix it without me noticing.

"Or have a great time," She agreed quietly. She stood and walked over to the only full-length mirror in the room and began to study her reflection calculatingly. She smoothed her hair and sighed to herself as she tucked the last flyaway behind her ear.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" I asked.

Either she didn't hear me, or she didn't know what to say, because she continued to study her appearance with the focus of a master potioneer on his brew. She brushed a nonexistent piece of fuzz off of her pants and carefully plucked a thread from her sweater. Lily stared thoughtfully at her sweater, miles away from where I was and started to nibble her lower lip. "Could you try that on this?" she asked.

"What?"

"That spell," She nodded at the jeans that now fit me much better, "I see you doing it all the time."

I bowed my head in embarrassment, I had hoped that the only people who would ever notice my weight problem, or lack of weight problem, would be Sirius and Remus. "Yeah, no problem."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No it's fine," I lied as I began to perform the spell on her. It dawned on me that Lily was someone I could trust. She may have been harsh at first, and thought that I was an idiot for befriending the marauders, but she was still someone who could be trusted. When I looked into her eyes I saw her son who she would never get to know. But Harry wasn't here, he wasn't someone I would ever see again, and Lily was real and right in front of me. She was worrying over something as silly as a night of rule breaking. Lily needed to know that this was nothing, she deserved to know it. Most of all I needed to tell someone, and in that moment I made up my mind. "I lost a lot of weight while we were in hiding."

"Hiding?"

"Voldemort had a bounty on my family's heads," I told her. She gasped at the mention of Tom Riddle's chosen name. She could never know the full truth, only Dumbledore could, but I could give her this in the hope that she might trust me too. "My parents always said that what is easy isn't always what is right. We all chose to fight against him, my parents, my brothers, and me. It's why I'm here. We spent the past few months hiding and aiding the resistance. Food was scarce and there were a lot of us. We had to make do."

"There's a resistance?" She gasped in wonder.

"There is." Lily stared at me in wonder, her nerves over leaving the castle had gone and were replaced by a fire in her eyes. I watched as her mind reeled at the thought of being able to fight the man who wanted to destroy everyone of her kind. It was like I had just opened her eyes to a world of possibility, but just as soon as the fire burned it began to dim as she turned to look me directly in the eye.

"What happened to them, Ginny?" She practically whispered.

"Being an enemy of Lord Voldemort has its drawbacks." I drew a shaky breath and chose my words very carefully, "I'm here, and they are not."

"Oh Ginny," Lily pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I let her embrace me and felt a spark of friendship ignite between us. I held onto her in the empty dormitory and allowed myself to take the most calming breath I'd had since my arrival. "I didn't mean to- I don't know scare you? It's just that-" I paused again unsure of what I meant, "Life's too short not to do something because it scares us, or because we're worried about what other people will think. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely," Lily smiled as we broke apart, "Ginny?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for trusting me," She said tentatively.

"Don't mention it," I replied and she smiled at me too. "No seriously, don't mention it, you've officially been sworn to secrecy," I held my pinky out toward her and she did the same. We intertwined them in the most juvenile of promising methods and Lily snorted at the thought.

"We're going to get into so much trouble tonight, aren't we?" We both burst into a fit of giggles. In a complete juxtaposition of the intimacy, we'd just shared seconds before.

"Probably," I snorted as I grabbed my cloak from its hook, "but at least we won't have to hear all about Marlene's evening with what ever his name is."

We made our way downstairs different than how we'd come up. Sure we'd changed our clothes, and Lily had snuck a splash of perfume behind her neck before leaving, but something else had changed too. We weren't just roommate anymore, and we weren't just peers, we were friends and that meant so much more.


End file.
